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Biennial report, Public Schools of North Carolina

Biennial report of the North Carolina State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction

2004 | 2006
B I ENNI A L R E POR T
Future-Ready Schools:
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
Future-Ready Schools:
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
A Message from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson .................................. 4
A Message from State Board of Education Chairman Howard N. Lee ................................................................ 6
State Board of Education Member Profiles ............................................................................................................ 8
Supporting Future-Ready Schools
Leadership and Innovation .................................................................................................................................... 14
Future-Ready Students | Goals for the 21st Century ................................................................................ 17
IMPACT Schools ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Support for Schools .............................................................................................................................................. 20
NC WISE Project Provides Data Support to Schools.................................................................................. 23
Focus on Learning ................................................................................................................................................. 24
Snapshots of School Success ...................................................................................................................... 28
Biennial Budget Request ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Table of Contents
2004 | 2006
B I ENNI A L R E POR T
a message from...
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson
History and personal experiences leave a strong
imprint on how we think about school. We remember
the thrill of learning to do something new, the
satisfaction of strong friendships and the anchoring
familiarity of the routine of school. While it is good
to hold on to these positives as a firm foundation,
students today also need the benefit of new methods,
innovative technologies and a renewed vision of public
schooling. They need an education to prepare them for
the 21st century – in terms of its tools, its ways of work
and its competitive and entrepreneurial spirit.
The public school of the 21st century looks different.
Students and teachers use technology – computers,
MP3 players, Smart Boards and other tools – as a
routine way of learning. The teacher does not stand
and impart knowledge to students all day long.
Instead, she or he coaches student learning and work
that is authentic and relevant to the world today.
Students thoroughly learn facts and skills – and they
apply them in meaningful ways.
In some North Carolina schools, this vision of
21st century learning is already a reality. In most
of our schools, we have much work to do. The
2007-09 budget request from the State Board of
Education and Department of Public Instruction
represents the resources we will need in order to
move forward with a 21st century mission and
goals. The workplace and global economy have
changed dramatically. Competition and work are
global for every type of product and service. Work is
completed on 24-hour cycles that depend on a web
of technology and people who may be on another
continent just as easily as in the office next door.
Students in our schools need education that reflects
the challenges they will face as adults.
At the state level, the NC Department of Public
Instruction has a staff of 659 that serves 115 school
districts, 2,338 public and charter schools and their
approximately 95,000 teachers. These numbers and
the size of our state require us to be strategic about
our work. We must make the most of our efforts
to provide leadership for innovation, support for
schools and districts, and a continual focus on student
achievement and appropriate standards to strengthen
North Carolina’s competitiveness.
Thank you for your continued support of North
Carolina’s public schools.
June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed.D.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
a message from...
CHAIRMAN, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Howard N. Lee
North Carolina’s public schools rise to challenges.
In 1996-97, when our State initiated the ABCs of
Public Education, only 12 elementary and middle
schools met the standard of our highest recognition
category, and 56.7 percent of schools met the
growth standard expected by the State Board
of Education. By the time that the original ABCs
formula was used in 2004-05 for the last time, 74.6
percent of all schools (K-12) had met the state’s
growth standard, and 539 (or one-fourth) of all
schools had met the highest category of recognition.
This year, the State Board of Education raised the
performance standard for North Carolina schools.
After a decade of stable expectations, we believed
that it was time for a new level of rigor and
standards for public schools. To that end and in
response to General Assembly direction, the ABCs
formula was thoroughly reviewed by State and
national testing experts, and new formulas were
developed to improve the consistency and stability
of ABCs results from year-to-year. In addition, the
standard for student performance on the State’s
end-of-grade mathematics assessment was raised
in 2005-06. Federal requirements for student
performance continue to increase as we head
toward the required goal of 100 percent proficiency
by 2013-14. The result of all of this change is higher
expectations for our schools and new challenges
to meet. Just as our schools rose to the challenge
of the original ABCs formula, we believe that
our schools will work diligently to meet the new
standards before them.
Thanks to the strong support of the Governor, the
General Assembly and the business community,
North Carolina was one of the first states to pioneer
school-level accountability and to widely and
publicly report the results. That means our state
also is one of the first to grapple with the long-term
questions and transitions that naturally occur when
an accountability model is in place for a number
of years. Chief among our work priorities is
improving this process, including the assessments
that students take, and continuing to seek ways to
accurately and fairly reflect our progress toward
graduating students who are well-suited and
prepared for 21st century challenges.
The State Board of Education takes very seriously
the challenge of helping every child in North
Carolina be prepared for successful adulthood in
the global economy. We have set a new mission
that every public school student will graduate from
high school, globally competitive for work and
postsecondary education (and prepared for life in
the 21st century). This mission guides and supports
all of our work as we revise curricula, license and set
standards for teachers and administrators, create
an environment for healthy student development,
encourage innovation, and build business and
technology infrastructures to support schools.
The General Assembly and Governor are essential
allies in our work. We look forward to continuing
our partnership as we re-create our schools to
meet the demands of the 21st century.
Howard N. Lee
Chairman, State Board of Education
The State Board of Education
MEMBER PROFILES
KATHY A. TAFT
Greenville
WAYNE MCDEVITT
Asheville
MICHELLE HOWARD-VITAL
Wilmington
MELISSA BARTLETT
Raleigh
EDGAR D. MURPHY, III
Durham
JOHN TATE, III
Charlotte
SHIRLEY E. HARRIS
Troy
PATRICIA N. WILLOUGHBY
Raleigh
HOWARD N. LEE
Chairman | Raleigh
JUNE ST. CLAIR ATKINSON
State Superintendent
BEVERLY PERDUE
Lieutenant Governor
RICHARD MOORE
State Treasurer
JANE P. NORWOOD
Vice Chair | Charlotte
R. THOMAS SPEED
Boone
Howard N. Lee | Chairman
5th Education District
State Board of Education, 6302 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-6302 | 919.807.3391
Howard N. Lee was appointed to the Board on
May 15, 2003, to fill an unexpired term. He then
was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board
by its members, a post he has held ever since.
Mr. Lee, the first African American to serve as
Board chairman, is a former mayor of Chapel Hill
and a former member of the North Carolina Senate.
During his legislative career, the Chairman earned
a reputation as an education advocate with special
interests in school safety, school accountability and
teacher quality. Mr. Lee was instrumental in the
passage of the original ABCs of Public Education
and the Excellent Schools Act of 1997. On behalf
of the Board, Mr. Lee is active on the Southern
Regional Education Board and the Education
Commission of the States.
Beverly Eaves Perdue | Lieutenant Governor
Hawkins-Hartness House, 2401 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-0401 | 919.733.7350
Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, re-elected to office in 2004,
is an ex officio member of the Board. A former
classroom teacher, she came into the second
highest elected office in North Carolina after
serving five terms in the North Carolina Senate
and two terms in the North Carolina House of
Representatives. In 1999, she received the North
Carolina Association of Educators’ President’s
Award for her work on innovative education
legislation. As Lieutenant Governor, she has been
an activist on behalf of educational technology and
healthier lifestyles for children and adults. The NC
Virtual Public School is a project spearheaded by
the Business Education Technology Alliance, which
the Lieutenant Governor founded.
The State Board of Education is responsible for supervising and administering the public school
system and the educational funds provided for its support. Board members include the Lieutenant
Governor, the State Treasurer and 11 other members appointed by the Governor. Eight members
represent the State’s education districts, and three are appointed at-large. Appointed members
serve eight-year terms. The policies developed by the State Board of Education set the direction for
all aspects of Department of Public Instruction and local public school organization and operation.
Eight Education Districts
of North Carolina
10
Richard H. Moore | State Treasurer
Albemarle Building, 325 N. Salisbury Street,
Raleigh, NC 27603-1385 | 919.508.5176
A former Federal prosecutor, member of the NC
General Assembly, and Secretary of the Department
of Crime Control and Public Safety, State Treasurer
Richard Moore serves as an ex officio member of the
Board. He serves as Chair of the NC Local Government
Commission, the NC Tax Review Board, the State
Banking Commission, and the Board of Trustees of
the NC Retirement System and also serves on the NC
Community College Board and the Council of State.
A national leader in the fight to protect shareholder
rights, he has authored both investment protection
and mutual fund protection principles adopted by
many fund managers across the country. Treasurer
Moore is especially interested in increasing the
financial literacy of North Carolinians by including
such information in the public schools curriculum.
Jane P. Norwood | Vice Chair
6th Education District
7026 Ballentyne Court, Charlotte, NC 28210-4935
704.554.9894
Jane P. Norwood has served on the Board
since September 1990, and brings an important
perspective to the Board from her work as a
professor at Appalachian State University who
supervises student teachers. Dr. Norwood’s years of
service to public education in North Carolina started
in 1977 when she was appointed to the original
Annual Testing Commission where she served
three terms. She also has served for several terms
as a North Carolina representative to the Southern
Regional Education Board. She is a past President
of both the North Carolina College Professors of
Reading and the North Carolina Council of the
International Reading Association. Currently,
she is Chair of the Board’s Quality Teachers,
Administrators, and Staff priority area and co-chair
of the Educational Liaison Committee. Dr. Norwood
also is a member of the North Carolina Teaching
Fellows Commission; the Liaison Committee of the
State Board and the UNC and Community College
systems; and the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. She has also
served on the Teacher Retention Task Force;
and the Study Committee on Physical Education.
Dr. Norwood’s term ends March 31, 2007.
Kathy A. Taft
1st Education District
3024 Dartmouth Drive, Greenville, NC 27858-6745
252.355.7299
Kathy A. Taft was appointed to a second term on
the Board in 2003. A long-time supporter of public
education, a former Vice Chair of the Pitt County
Board of Education, and a founding member of
the Pitt County Communities in Schools Program,
she has been actively involved in the State Board’s
work. She chairs the High Student Performance
area for the State Board. She also serves on the
Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance,
and Relationships; the Charter Schools Advisory
Committee; the Compliance Commission for
Accountability; and the Liaison Committee of the
Board and the University and Community College
systems. She is the Southern Area Director for the
National Association of State Boards of Education
(NASBE). Her term expires March 31, 2011.
11
Michelle Howard-Vital
2nd Education District
Interim Chancellor, Winston-Salem State University
601 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive,
Winston-Salem, NC 27110 | 336.750.2045
Michelle Howard-Vital was appointed to the Board
by Gov. Michael F. Easley in 2001. She currently serves
as the interim Chancellor for Winston-Salem State
University. She has held various academic positions
in her 30 years in higher education with the university
system. Dr. Howard-Vital has published a variety of
articles, reviews, an encyclopedia article and ERIC
documents, and co-authored a book entitled, Entering
School Leadership. She also has been the principal
investigator on numerous grants and the executive
director of over 50 original cable access television
shows. On the State Board of Education, she serves on
the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance
and Relationships; the Study Committee on Physical
Education; and the NC Virtual Interim Advisory Board.
Her term expires March 31, 2009.
Edgar D. Murphy, III
3rd Education District
Nortel Networks, PO Box 13010, D17/02/0F2
RTP, NC 27709-3010 | 919.997.3045
Edgar D. Murphy, III, was appointed to the Board
in 1999. Mr. Murphy is currently responsible for
Community/Government Relations at Nortel
in Research Triangle Park and is well known in
business/education circles for developing successful
partnerships between public education leaders and
senior business leaders from the technology sector.
He serves on the Durham Public Education Network
Board of Directors; the North Carolina Council on
Economic Education Board of Directors; the NC
Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
Center Board; the NC E-learning Commission; and
as Chairman of the NC Citizens for Business and
Industry’s Education Committee. On behalf of the
State Board, Mr. Murphy also chairs the Healthy
Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools priority
area and is a member of the Liaison Committee of
the State Board and the UNC and Community College
systems; the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor,
Relevance and Relationships; the Committee on
Graduate Pay Approval and Non-Teaching Work
Experience; and the NC Virtual Interim Advisory
Board. His term expires March 31, 2007.
Shirley Harris
4th Education District
229 Fox Den Road, Troy, NC 27371 | 910.576.3181
Shirley E. Harris was appointed to the Board in
May 2005. Mrs. Harris is a seasoned educator,
holding North Carolina teaching certifications in
Language Arts, Social Studies, and Mathematics,
as well as National Board of Professional Teaching
Standards Certification in Early Adolescent English/
Language Arts. She also holds certification in
Adolescent Literacy, Mentoring, Systemic Change,
and NBCT Facilitation. Mrs. Harris has taught in
public elementary, middle and high schools in North
Carolina for 30 years. She also served as a high school
Comprehensive School Reform Facilitator while
remaining in the classroom. Mrs. Harris’ teaching
awards include Montgomery County Teacher of the
Year (TOY), NC Regional TOY Finalist and NCCTM
Regional Outstanding Elementary Mathematics
Teacher. Her term expires March 31, 2013.
12
R. Thomas Speed
7th Education District
PO Box 432, Boone, NC 28607-0432 | 828.264.1191
Tom Speed, an attorney from Boone, was appointed
to the State Board of Education on May 15, 2003.
Formerly from Franklin County and from a family
involved in tobacco farming and raising cattle,
he has extensive experience and knowledge in
the technical and business aspects of agriculture.
His current law practice is limited to criminal and
civil trial practices. He is actively involved in the
Appalachian State University Athletic Boosters Club,
is a member of the North Carolina Fraternal Order of
Police and the Winston-Salem Scottish Rite Bodies.
His term expires March 31, 2011.
Wayne McDevitt
8th Education District
PO Box 63, Marshall, NC 28753-0063 | 828.649.2144
Wayne McDevitt was appointed to the State Board
of Education in 2001. He has extensive government
experience at The University of North Carolina
and as a former Chief of Staff for Gov. James B.
Hunt, Jr. and as Secretary of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. McDevitt is
the recipient of UNC Asheville’s Achievement Award,
Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Chancellor’s
Medallion. His extensive record of public service led
the Asheville Citizen-Times to recognize him as “one
of Western North Carolina’s 50 most influential people
of the 20th century.” Mr. McDevitt has a strong
record of advocacy for education and children
including service on the boards of NC Partnership
for Children/Smart Start, NC PTA, Baptist Children’s
Homes, and the boards of trustees of two
universities. He currently serves on the boards of
Leadership North Carolina, Western North Carolina
Tomorrow, Western North Carolina Communities,
and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Mr.
McDevitt currently chairs the Board’s Effective and
Efficient Operations priority area and is a member of
the Board’s Select Committee on Lateral Entry. His
term expires March 31, 2009.
Melissa Bartlett
Member-at-Large
20301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
919.715.7108
Melissa E. Bartlett was appointed to the Board
in May 2005. She holds North Carolina teaching
certifications in K-12 ESL, 6-8 Language Arts, 9-12
English, and she has National Board Certification in
Early Adolescent Language Arts from the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Mrs.
Bartlett has taught in middle and high schools and
in community colleges in North Carolina, and has
taught Title-I reading in the U.S. Virgin Islands, “O”
Levels in Kenya, and EFL at the English Language
Institute at the American University in Cairo. Mrs.
Bartlett was 2002-03 North Carolina Teacher of
the Year and a finalist for 2003 National Teacher
of the Year. In addition, Mrs. Bartlett has served
on various educational policy committees and
commissions while remaining in the classroom.
She is Director, Center for 21st Century Skills, NC
Business Committee for Education. She also serves
on the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Academic
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Her term
expires March 31, 2013.
13
John Tate, III
Member-at-Large
1431 Biltmore Drive, Charlotte, NC 28207-2556 | 704.332.5538
John Tate, a Charlotte native and businessman,
was appointed to the State Board in February 2003
to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in
May 2003. Mr. Tate has made the banking industry
his career for the past 30 years, and his current
assignment at Wachovia includes working with
commercial clients. His community service includes
membership on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board
of Education from 1990-1997 as well as involvement
with Communities in Schools, the YMCA, Success by
Six, Habitat for Humanity and the UNC-CH School of
Social Work‘s Board of Advisors. Mr. Tate serves on
the Select Committee on Lateral Entry, the Teacher
Retention Task Force and the Committee on School
Leadership. His term expires March 31, 2011.
Patricia N. Willoughby
Member-at-Large
20301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0301 | 919.715.3535
Patricia Nickens Willoughby was appointed to the State
Board of Education in May 2001 to serve an eight-year
term – interrupted for a short time during which she
served as State Superintendent of Public Instruction for
approximately nine months in 2004-05. Ms. Willoughby
is a former classroom teacher and a former faculty
member of the Meredith College School of Education.
She is currently the Executive Director of the North
Carolina Business Committee for Education, a non-profit
whose focus is K-12 education. As a Board member,
Ms. Willoughby has served on the NASBE Study Group
for High School Reform and represents the State Board
on the Gates-funded New Schools Project. She also
participates as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on
Academic Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Her term
expires March 31, 2009.
Teacher Advisors
• Diana Beasley | 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year
Hickory City Schools | Hickory High School
1234 3rd Street NE, Hickory, NC 28601
828.322.5860 | Term: June 2006 - June 2008
• Wendy Miller | 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year
Craven County Schools | James W. Smith Elementary
150 Koonce Town Road, Cove City, NC 28523
252.514.6466 | Term: June 2005 - June 2007
Principal Advisor
• Meghan Doyle | 2006 SBE Principal of the Year Advisor
Onslow County Schools | Hunters Creek Middle School
200 Broadhurst Road, Jacksonville, NC 28540 | 910.455.2211
Superintendent Advisor
• Larry Price | Governor’s Appointee
2006-07 NCASA Superintendent of the Year
Wilson County Schools | PO Box 2048, Wilson, NC 27894
252.399.7711
Local Board of Education Advisor
• Carroll “Carr” Ipock | 2006 NCSBA Raleigh Dingman Award
Craven County Board of Education
3600 Trent Road, New Bern, NC 28562 | 252.514.6300
Student Advisors
Governor’s Appointees | Junior and Senior High School Students
• Melissa McCoy, Senior | East Chapel Hill High
1709 High School Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
• Danielle Alston, Junior | William G. Enloe High School
128 Claredon Crescent, Raleigh, NC 27610
Leadership and Innovation
SUPPORTING FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
15
In North Carolina, some public schools already
exhibit many of the traits that exemplify 21st century
learning – strong and appropriate use of technology
for instruction, learning that is relevant and aligned
with real-world applications, and strong support for
professionals who are encouraged to be innovative
and lead their schools forward. In other areas,
schools still need to make the transition to new ways
of providing instruction and learning opportunities
for students. The State Board of Education and
Department of Public Instruction are working to
assist schools and districts in this time of transition.
Setting New Standards
For a decade, North Carolina public schools have
focused attention on the basics of reading and
mathematics in the elementary and middle grades
and on student performance in the five core courses
that are commonly taken by all high school students.
This attention has resulted in more students mastering
basic literacy and mathematics skills needed for future
learning, but as the demands of our global economy
have accelerated, it has become clear to the State
Board of Education and to the business community
in North Carolina that the State’s expectations for
student learning must increase accordingly. It is time
to move standards to a new level and to foster an
unprecedented school environment for students to
grow into successful adults.
Healthy, well-adjusted students are better prepared to
be high-achieving students. In recognition of the role
that schools can play in this, the Board has set several
policies related to health. Schools are required to
provide elementary and middle school students with
a total of 30 minutes of physical activity each day. By
the end of the 2007-08 school year, elementary schools
will be required to implement nutrition standards for
food and beverages available to students and staff.
In addition, 78 of the state’s 115 school districts have
implemented tobacco-free policies forbidding the use
of tobacco on school grounds by children and adults.
Students who entered ninth grade for the first time in
the fall of 2006 are required to meet stricter high school
graduation standards. Standards include passing each
of the core, end-of-course tests (Algebra I, English I,
US History, Civics and Economics, and Biology) and
successfully completing a graduation project that
demonstrates the ability to integrate information and
skills to address a real-world issue or problem. In
addition, the State Board approved in December 2006 a
framework for a required core course of study effective
with the entering freshmen of 2008. The proposed
framework is a 21-unit core course of study that will
include a four-unit endorsement in a specialty area of
choice. The new core will require:
• 4 units of English
• 4 units of mathematics
• 3 units of science
• 3 units of social studies
• 2 units of a second language
• 1 unit of health/physical education
• an endorsement of at least four units in one of the
following areas: career-technical, arts education,
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC),
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate,
second language or other.
Details about implementing this core course of study
will be finalized in early 2007 following a series of
regional meetings with educators, parents, students
and community members across North Carolina. One
key part of the implementation decisions will concern
course substitutions that might be allowed in certain
cases. The occupational course of study will still be
available for some students with disabilities.
16
Other state graduation requirements will continue in
place. Local boards of education continue to have the
authority to add to State requirements.
Higher standards extend to elementary and middle
schools also. In 2006, the State’s mathematics
assessments for students in grades 3-8 were
redesigned to align with a revised and more rigorous
mathematics curriculum. In selecting the levels of
achievement required for each of the assessments’
four achievement levels, the State Board of Education
raised the standard for passing in 2005-06 – the first
significantly higher standard in a decade. In two years,
when a revised English language arts curriculum and
its accompanying assessments are in place, similar
action will be considered.
In September 2006, the State Board of Education took
the bold step of approving a new mission and goals
– all with an eye toward the needs of today’s students
who will use 21st century technology and face new
workplace, economic and cultural challenges. These
goals are driving the Department of Public Instruction’s
work and are expected to direct public schools for
years to come. Not only do the demands of 21st
century business practices impact the technology used
in schools, they also affect the curriculum, assessments
and instructional practices. As this report went to
press, town hall-style meetings were being held across
all regions of North Carolina to raise awareness of
the new mission and goals with local educators and
community members and to gather ideas from them
concerning implementation of these goals.
The bold innovations and improvements that are
needed for North Carolina public schools cannot be
successful without strong partnerships. NCDPI and
the State Board of Education continue to partner with
many other organizations, State and Federal agencies
and the business community to accomplish the
changes that need to occur. These partners include
the Learn and Earn Early College high schools, the
New Schools Project, the Center for 21st Century
Skills, the American Diploma Project, the NC Business
Committee for Education, and the Business Education
Technology Alliance (BETA).
These partnerships provide a framework for many
innovative practices. The NC Virtual Public School,
which began to offer online opportunities to high
school students in 2006, is the result of a partnership
between NCDPI and BETA. Through it, students across
the state will be able to access a variety of coursework
to meet special scheduling, course availability and
other needs. In the spring of 2006, more than 8,000
students were early users of the NC Virtual Public
School when they took online Advanced Placement
exam preparation courses. This way of accessing
additional coursework is expected to grow robustly.
The New Schools Project, (NCNSP) which began in
2003 and is backed by $22.5 million in grants from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and by similar levels
of support from the NC General Assembly, provides
technical assistance and planning partnerships to
school systems to encourage local efforts to start new
high schools or convert existing comprehensive high
schools into personalized, focused and academically
rigorous schools. A total of 25 high schools have been
redesigned on 16 campuses with the goal of more
than 100 schools in some phase of development by
2008. In addition, NCNSP, in cooperation with the
State Board of Education and the Department of Public
Instruction, is administering the Governor’s Learn and
Earn early college initiative. To date, 33 early colleges
have been created on college and university campuses
across the state. These high schools provide students
with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and
a community college associate’s degree (or two years
of transferable credit toward a four-year degree) while
learning skills to pursue skilled careers.
17
Future-Ready Students
Goals For the 21st Century
The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board
of Education is that every public school student will
graduate from high school, globally competitive for
work and postsecondary education and prepared for
life in the 21st century.
NC Public Schools Will Produce Globally
Competitive Students.
• Every student excels in rigorous and relevant core
curriculum that reflects what students need to know
and demonstrate in a global 21st Century environment,
including a mastery of languages, an appreciation of the
arts and competencies in the use of technology.
• Every student’s achievement is measured with an
assessment system that informs instruction and evaluates
knowledge, skills, performance and dispositions needed
in the 21st Century.
• Every student will be enrolled in a course of study designed
to prepare them to stay ahead of international competition.
• Every student uses technology to access and demonstrate
new knowledge and skills that will be needed as a life-long
learner to be competitive in a constantly changing
international environment.
• Every student has the opportunity to graduate from high
school with an Associate’s Degree or college transfer credit.
NC Public Schools Will Be Led By 21st Century Professionals.
• Every teacher will have the skills to deliver 21st Century
content in a 21st Century context with 21st Century
tools and technology that guarantees student learning.
• Every teacher and administrator will use a 21st Century
assessment system to inform instruction and measure 21st
Century knowledge, skills, performance and dispositions.
• Every education professional will receive preparation
in the interconnectedness of the world with knowledge
and skills, including language study.
• Every education professional will have 21st Century
preparation and access to ongoing, high quality
professional development aligned with State Board
of Education priorities.
• Every educational professional uses data to
inform decisions.
NC Public School Students Will Be Healthy and Responsible.
• Every learning environment will be inviting, respectful,
supportive, inclusive and flexible for student success.
• Every school provides an environment in which each child
has positive, nurturing relationships with caring adults.
• Every school promotes a healthy, active lifestyle where
students are encouraged to make responsible choices.
• Every school focuses on developing strong student character,
personal responsibility and community/world involvement.
• Every school reflects a culture of learning that empowers
and prepares students to be life-long learners.
Leadership Will Guide Innovation in NC Public Schools.
• School professionals will collaborate with national
and international partners to discover innovative
transformational strategies that will facilitate change,
remove barriers for 21st Century learning and understand
global connections.
• School leaders will create a culture that embraces change
and promotes dynamic, continuous improvement.
• Educational professionals will make decisions in
collaboration with parents, students, businesses, education
institutions, and faith-based and other community and civic
organizations to impact student success.
• Public school professionals will collaborate with
community colleges and public and private universities
and colleges to provide enhanced educational
opportunities for students.
NC Public Schools Will Be Governed and
Supported By 21st Century Systems.
• Processes are in place for financial planning and budgeting
that focus on resource attainment and alignment with
priorities to maximize student achievement.
• Twenty-first century technology and learning tools are
available and are supported by school facilities that
have the capacity for 21st Century learning.
• Information and fiscal accountability systems are capable
of collecting relevant data and reporting strategic and
operational results.
• Procedures are in place to support and sanction schools that
are not meeting state standards for student achievement.
18
IMPACT Schools Link
Technology and Learning
In 2001, NCDPI’s Instructional Technology Division
established IMPACT Model Schools, a grant-based
program which allows North Carolina’s Title I schools
to compete for funding to incorporate 21st Century
technology tools into eligible North Carolina districts.
Schools do not simply add technology. Teachers,
administrators, media professionals, and technology
professionals completely change their methods of
instruction, team infrastructure, and approaches to
learning under the IMPACT model. Other changes also
occur in collaboration with external organizations,
access to the world’s cultural resources, relationships
with their communities and parents, and students’
awareness and use of state-of-the-art technologies to
research and create their own projects.
Since the grant’s inception, 10 NC schools have
become state-of-the art models for 21st Century
learning, technology and instruction.
IMPACT learning environments contain whiteboards,
digital video projectors and cameras, digital
microphones and speakers, and a significantly
higher-than-average student-to-computer ratio. “This
grant funds personnel, resources and access to the
world,” notes Frances Bradburn, director of DPI’s
Instructional Technology Division. “We also make
our facilities available to students, parents and the
community at large after hours,” said one media
technician. “Many of our families don’t have access
to computers at home.” IMPACT pays professionals
for their extended workload.
“Education using technology becomes more
relevant to both teacher and student,” says
Bradburn. “The IMPACT model is aligned to
national standards for media and technology
programs and based on valid research,” she adds.
IMPACT reflects the recommendations of the
revised North Carolina Educational Technology
Plan (2005-2009) and acknowledges the importance
of staffing each school in North Carolina with
• The number of Internet-connected computers in schools continues to grow. In 2006, there were
3.43 students for every Internet-connected computer.
• There are 5.74 students per classroom computer.
• Statewide, the typical school district has 21.29 percent of the needed instructional support and
43.27 percent of the needed technical support in place to support instructional technology.
did you know?
INNOVATION AT WORK
19
both a school library media coordinator and
an instructional technology facilitator. Further,
the IMPACT model assures that the media and
technology resources and conditions necessary to
support the teaching and learning processes are
present. Participating teachers and students thrive.
“The IMPACT model allows my students to connect
with cultures beyond their own limited borders,”
one teacher says. A media professional adds, “It’s
all about flexibility, collaboration and change.”
An example of what can happen when a school district
embraces technology as a change agent is Perquimans
County Schools. In 2006, the Consortium for School
Networking (CoSN) announced that Perquimans
County Schools, located in rural northeastern North
Carolina, was the nation’s TEAM Award Winner.
The system consists of four schools. Although the
district has little industry and one of the lowest
average incomes in North Carolina, “our parents,
administrators, business community, and teachers
place a high priority on using technology to
overcome the barriers of isolation and poverty,”
notes Perquimans County Schools Superintendent
Kenneth Wells.
Technology planning involves principals and central
office staff coming together to determine how to pool
resources to get technology in the hands of students
and teachers. The district supplies each preK-8
school with a locally funded technology facilitator
who works with teachers and students to ensure that
technology is integrated seamlessly into instruction.
Additionally, the district provides two locally-funded
technicians and a district-level technology coordinator.
Perquimans initially funded this effort with a grant
from the federal No Child Left Behind initiative.
Because of the IMPACT model’s tremendous success,
the district realized that they had to implement the
model throughout the K-12 environment. The district
managed through grants, donations, State and Federal
funding to achieve a computer-to-student ratio of
less than 1:3, with steady growth in the numbers of
computers each year.
The IMPACT Schools are
Anson County, Wadesboro Elementary
Ashe County, Westwood Elementary
Avery County, Crossnore Elementary
Cumberland County, Spring Lake Middle
Edgecombe County, West Edgecombe Middle
Martin County, E.J. Hayes Elementary
Nash/Rocky Mount, Williford Elementary
Perquimans County, Perquimans Central
Wilson City, Wells Elementary
Yancey County, Clearmont Elementary
Support for Schools
PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
21
Support for Schools
The 115 school districts and 100 charter schools
across North Carolina serve diverse communities
and operate with a significant amount of local control
over how schools are organized and operated and
over how instruction is delivered to students. The role
of the State Board of Education and the Department
of Public Instruction is to provide the policy and
resource framework and support for local districts
and schools to succeed and thrive. This support
is broad and includes an array of services such as
financial allocations, support for improved instruction
of students, leadership development, teacher and
administrator and other educator licensure, approval
of teacher education programs, student data
collection, school construction and insurance services,
child nutrition services and other ongoing work. The
level of State support needed can vary depending
on the school district and its local resources.
The role of NCDPI as a change agent for local
schools and districts that are struggling with
low student performance and other issues has
intensified over the past few years and expanded
well beyond assistance to low-performing schools
identified by the ABCs of Public Education.
For the past decade, North Carolina has deployed
specialized assistance teams to work alongside
principals and faculty in schools identified by the
State Board of Education as low performing under
the ABCs accountability model. Since the ABCs
began, 85 schools have received assistance from
these mandatory assistance teams to help them
improve student achievement and instruction.
Other schools have received voluntary assistance at
their request. Teams are composed of experienced,
active and retired educators who receive specialized
training in providing assistance.
Based on the success of the school-based
assistance teams, the NC Department of Public
Instruction and State Board of Education developed
a district-level version – Local Education Agency
Assistance Program (LEAAP) – to provide services
to school districts that were low performing. LEAAP
team members help districts plan more strategically
and use student achievement data more effectively
to match resources with areas of greatest need. The
LEAAP model provides varying degrees of support,
guidance and services to districts, with the level
of service determined by district performance on
both the ABCs and the Federal No Child Left Behind
law. Primary aims of the LEAAP are to improve
student academic performance and to build
internal capacity in the central office and schools’
leadership leading to positive change and continual
growth. School districts participating in LEAAP are
encouraged to partner with other districts to share
best practices and resources and to use other State
services such as those offered by the Center for
School Leadership Development.
In addition to State-mandated assistance under
the ABCs, the Department of Public Instruction
provides services to schools and districts in Title I
Improvement as defined by the Federal No Child Left
Behind education law. Title I schools (based on their
Federally funded services to students who qualify for
free- and reduced-price lunch) can be placed in
Title I School Improvement status if the school does
not make Adequate Yearly Progress. Approximately
half of North Carolina’s 2,338 public and charter
schools are Title I schools, and every school district
in North Carolina is considered a Title I district based
on their receipt of these Federal resources.
Being in Title I School Improvement involves a
sequence of sanctions, including offering public
school choice, supplemental education services for
22
qualifying students and other increasingly stringent
actions. North Carolina has 301 schools in some
level of Title I School Improvement. In addition, there
are 62 school districts in Title I District improvement,
which also brings its own list of required responses
beginning with adjustments to the district’s
improvement plan. As the Federal targets become
more difficult in anticipation of reaching the required
100 percent student proficiency by 2013-14, more
districts are anticipated to enter Title I Improvement
in North Carolina as well as in all other states.
The Department of Public Instruction provides state
technical assistance to schools in Title I School
Improvement through regional-based consultants.
Also, state assistance teams composed of retired
educators, teachers-on-loan and DPI staff provide
assistance in selected schools that are in corrective
action and that may be identified through the ABCs
accountability model. NCDPI is working with local
districts to help them build the capacity to better
address their own improvement needs.
In 2005 and 2006, Gov. Mike Easley directed the
State Board and DPI to launch two special assistance
initiatives – a High School Turnaround Initiative and a
high school financial audit.
The initiative requires high schools that have
fewer than 60 percent of their students performing
proficiently on the State’s end-of-course tests to
choose a proven restructuring model and adopt
it beginning in 2007-08. These high schools
are assigned a “leadership facilitator” whose
major responsibility is to work with the school
and the community to identify an appropriate
restructuring model for the school that will provide
the infrastructure to transition to a college and/or
work-ready environment for students. In addition,
principals are involved in professional development
run by the Principals’ Executive Program and the
Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill.
High schools that have a performance composite
of less than 70 percent for two consecutive years
will receive visits from turnaround assessment
teams during the 2006-07 school year. In 2006, the
Department of Public Instruction received $944,000
as the first payment of a three-year grant to support
high school turnaround from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.
Gov. Easley also has asked The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and the State Board of
Education to conduct financial performance audits
of all high schools and to conduct site visits at the
37 high schools involved in required restructuring.
This effort aims to ensure that local, State and
Federal funds are being used to their fullest extent
in preparing students for the 21st century.
• Twenty-two schools were assigned ABCs Assistance Teams in 2006-07.
• Three hundred and one schools are in Title I School Improvement under No Child Left Behind.
• Fifty-seven high schools will receive visits from High School Turnaround Assessment Teams in 2006-07.
• Thirty-six school districts are being served in the LEA Assistance Program.
did you know?
23
NC WISE Project Provides
Data Support to Schools
The NC WISE project has undergone a dramatic
transformation since 2004. NCDPI has assumed full
responsibility for NC WISE, absorbing segments of
the project that were once delivered by an outside
vendor. This change is allowing NCDPI to deliver long-promised
functionality, improve stability and reliability
and move forward with statewide deployment.
The first phase of the NC WISE SAS Ad Hoc Reporting
tool is complete and has been delivered to a small
group of school districts to test and provide feedback
on its design, content and performance. This tool
allows users to create a variety of reports to meet the
data needs of school and district personnel. Providing
them with the ability to dynamically create custom
reports allows them to highlight a particular area
of school business. Administrators, educators and
staff can use this data to make decisions that benefit
the schools and communities they serve. Work is
underway on the second and third phases of the
project. The NC WISE SAS Ad Hoc Reporting Tool will
be complete by spring 2007.
User satisfaction continues to increase as they
discover that NC WISE allows educators to
collect more student data than SIMS or other
previous student accounting systems. The real-time
data available in NC WISE helps educators
and administrators monitor and evaluate student
performance and improve communications
between schools and families. NC WISE also
provides the tools to gather the information needed
to support the state’s approximately $6 billion
public school budget to satisfy Federal and State
student accountability requirements and to provide
easier transfer of student information when needed.
Wave 1 deployment of NC WISE was completed in
March 2005 with 36 local school districts and 23 charter
schools joining five pilot districts that converted to NC
WISE between 2000 and 2003. After a year’s hiatus to
resolve issues with the system, deployment is back on
track with Wave 2 to begin in mid-January 2007. When
Wave 2 deployment is complete in March 2007, 33
local school districts and charter schools will join those
that converted to NC WISE during the pilot and Wave 1
years. Statewide deployment of NC WISE is expected
to be completed by 2008.
Focus on Learning
SUPPORTING FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
25
Focus on Learning
Because of the central role that schools can play in
community life, public schools are hubs of activity in
service to and support of student learning, growth
and development. Schools partner in these activities
with other agencies to strengthen student health,
to support families and to provide community
educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
Despite these many worthwhile activities, the
schools’ core responsibility remains educating young
people for the future. To that end, the State Board
of Education and Department of Public Instruction
consistently work to keep the primary focus on student
learning and achievement. By setting challenging
standards, ensuring that a strong curriculum is in
place and by supporting accountability for all schools,
the Board keeps the focus on student achievement.
North Carolina has had a state Standard Course of
Study for many decades. The Standard Course of
Study sets the goals and objectives that teachers
and students should meet at every grade level
and in every subject. The Course of Study is on
a constant revision cycle to make sure that it
remains current, relevant and aligned with national
standards in all subjects.
The Standard Course of Study sets the expectations
for learning. The accountability system measures
how well students are learning. North Carolina
is known nationally as a leader in accountability
because it was one of the very first states to use
school-level accountability and to measure student
achievement growth from year to year.
In 2005-06, the State’s ABCs of Public Education
accountability model passed its 10-year anniversary,
and with that, NCDPI and the State Board undertook a
comprehensive review of the model to apply lessons
learned during a decade as one of the United States’
leaders in school-based accountability. The result
was the implementation of new growth formulas to
measure the academic progress of students from year
to year. As a result, the ABCs results for the 2005-06
school year should not be compared to the results
from prior years. These results represent a fresh start
in terms of measuring student achievement. The new
formulas provide greater stability and reliability for
information about student performance. Even with
new formulas, however, the ABCs core emphases
remain fixed on measuring student achievement
growth in addition to the overall percentage of
students who are performing at proficiency or better.
North Carolina’s performance on various student
achievement measures continues to show areas
in which student performance is strong and other
areas where improvements are needed. The National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results
indicate that North Carolina, in many categories,
compares well to the nation’s performance.
EOG Multiple Choice Test Results Chart
Assessment results reported for 2004-05 and earlier did
not include alternate assessments given to some students
with disabilities. Also, mathematics standards were
changed significantly in 2005-06, making comparisons
with prior years inappropriate.
26
National Assessment of Educational Progress
The NAEP assessments are also called “The Nation’s
Report Card.” NAEP standards for performance are
set at a very ambitious level. The “Proficient” level
on NAEP is set differently from the “Proficient” level
for North Carolina’s own state tests. In fact, some
researchers say that NAEP is so challenging that even
some of the best-performing nations in the world
would not meet the “Proficient” standard it sets.
SAT Results
North Carolina is a national leader in gains on the SAT
over time. This is especially significant because North
Carolina continues to have a significant number of
students taking this college entrance exam.
27
• The number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses in North Carolina reached an all-time high
in 2006. A total of 41,038 students took 76,578 AP exams. Students who take these college-level courses are
more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree in four or fewer years, according to The College Board’s research.
• Forty-four percent of North Carolina 2005-06 high school graduates completed the college/university
prep course of study. Another 24 percent completed the college tech prep course of study, and
21 percent a combination course of study. Only 9 percent completed a career prep course of study.
did you know?
28
Snapshots of School Success
School improvement efforts succeed every day in
classrooms across North Carolina. Over the past
few years, many struggling schools beat the odds
and dramatically increased student learning by
using innovative strategies for success.
Schools’ struggles often become apparent through
NCLB’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure,
which extrapolates achievement scores for groups
that often fall below overall averages.
Below are success stories from a few North Carolina
schools, all of which are Title I schools, meaning
that they have a significant percentage of students
living in poverty. Key to making positive changes
in student achievement for the 21st century will be
effective teaching, a common element in each of the
four schools featured here.
St. Stephens Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-6
• Location: Conover, Catawba County
• Total Students: 750
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 10.8 percent black,
24.4 percent Hispanic, 51 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 59.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 19.9 percent
• Special Education Students: 12 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
76.2 percent (based on students in grades 3-6
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: The school has a small radio
station featuring continuous loop announcements
of upcoming events. Parents can tune into this FM
station as they get closer to St. Stephens to keep
informed. The program is translated.
St. Stephens Elementary, a 2006 National Title I
Distinguished School in Catawba County, attributes
its success in exiting Title I School Improvement
to inclusion and co-teaching models. St. Stephens
went into Title I School Improvement when it
met 28 of 29 target goals, all except students
with disabilities in reading, but the school faced
additional challenges as well. St. Stephens’ limited
English proficient population increased from two
students in 1996 to over 200 in 2006. The free and
29
reduced-price lunch student population increased
from seven percent in 1996 to 60 percent in 2006.
The school made big changes to meet all 29 of its
target goals for 2004-05 and 2005-06 and exit Title I
School Improvement. Those changes are reflected
not only in the school’s Title I recognition, but in its
selection as one of 10 schools nationwide selected
by the Character Education Partnership (CEP) to be
a 2006 National School of Character.
Exceptional children’s teachers, limited English
proficient teachers, literacy and remediation
specialists all share the classroom at St. Stephens.
A master schedule and a “sacred” block of
co-planning 45 minutes per week allows for
successful co-teaching. Regular classroom teachers
and inclusion teachers have equal responsibility
for the achievement of all students. Instructional
assistants are treated as key players and are
provided with staff development, meeting times
and regular observations and evaluations.
To provide time, information and support for the
co-teaching approach, the school has a six-day
rotation, hires permanent substitute teachers,
contracts with retired teachers and works hard to keep
everyone informed. Marsha Woodard, St. Stephens
principal from 1998 to 2006 and now director of
school improvement and professional learning for
Catawba County Schools, believes true co-teaching
doesn’t just happen without resources, support,
teacher preparation time, commitment, a vision,
restructuring and staff development.
Dramatic demographic changes prompted
St. Stephens to change the school’s culture and
integrate a positive, caring environment with the
philosophy of “Love them first, and teach them
second.” Teachers and administrators use positive
behavior support to encourage and recognize
students who model positive character traits,
perform community service and build empathy and
respect for differences and diversity. “The school
renewed my faith in our educational process,” said
CEP site visitor Penny Keith.
St. Stephens’ literacy specialist Kathy Frye (left) and ESL teacher
Ana Ziong team teach with the regular education teacher.
Troutman Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-5
• Location: Troutman, Iredell County
• Total Students: 744
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 15.9 percent black,
8.6 percent Hispanic, 72.8 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 46.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 6.3 percent
• Special Education Students: 17.9 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
75.4 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: Starting this year, tutors work with
small groups of students in specialized sessions
three days a week for 30 minutes in grades 3-5.
Teacher assistants from grades K-3 and regular
classroom teachers serve as the tutors.
30
Third Creek Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-5
• Location: Statesville, Iredell County
• Total Students: 651
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 28.6 percent black,
23.7 percent Hispanic, 45.2 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 66.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 11.1 percent
• Special Education Students: 13.2 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
67.8 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: The Third Creek staff is
researching high-yield instructional strategies
as part of a pilot along with the middle and high
schools that Third Creek feeds. School staffs will
pass along their findings to the entire district.
The 2004 school year revealed challenges for two
Iredell-Statesville schools.
At Third Creek Elementary, Hispanic students
were below AYP target goals in reading. Then, in
2005, only 63.9 percent of black students scored
proficient in reading, falling short of the 76.7
percent goal. Hispanic students made AYP that year
using safe harbor because that group of students’
performance jumped from 48.9 percent to 67.2
percent proficient in a population of 62-68 students.
For 2006, black students made AYP using safe
harbor because student performance increased
from 63.9 percent to 74.7 percent proficient in
reading among that group’s 82-90 students.
The school’s record shows the difficulty of
paying attention to diverse groups of students
with wide-ranging needs in different subjects
while responding to Title I School Improvement
sanctions. Third Creek is in year two of Title I
School Improvement, which means it had to offer
public school choice and supplemental education
services for 2006-07. In addition, although the
school made AYP for 2006, both the black and
Hispanic student groups have made math AYP
using the safe harbor clause over the years. The
challenge of making AYP one more year to emerge
from Title I sanctions will take a juggling act that
many schools must embark on to make sure all
students are learning according to expectations.
At Troutman Elementary, only 44.2 percent of the
school’s 49 students with disabilities scored proficient
in reading, as opposed to the 68.9 percent goal in
2004. This was the school’s second year missing AYP
31
due to the performance in reading of its students with
disabilities in reading. That percentage, however,
jumped to 73.4 percent in 2005, keeping up with the
target goal jump of 76.7 percent when factoring in safe
harbor. Troutman made AYP again in 2006 and exited
Title I School Improvement.
Many strategies are used by the two schools to
meet diverse student needs. Key to success for
both schools, however, is the use of an Iredell-
Statesville Schools (I-SS) model, based on the
works of Richard and Rebecca DuFour and Richard
Eaker (see chart). The model focuses collaborative
grade-level teacher teams on using instructional
guides, quarterly predictive assessment data and
answering five learning-centered questions.
The teacher teams, called Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs), use weekly common time
for collaborative discussions between grade
level teachers. PLC meetings are a dynamic time
during which teachers discuss learning strategies
Lead Teacher
Support
1. What do students need to learn?
2. How will they learn it?
3. How will we know they’ve learned it?
4. What will we do if they don’t learn it?
5. What will we do if they already know it?
Continuous Improvement Approach (Aligned Strategic Plans, PDSA, Systems Checks, Data Warehouse)
ISS Model to Raise Achievement & Close Gaps
Quarterly Predictive
Assessments
Professional Learning
Communities
Instructional
Guides
32
for individual students or their entire classroom,
whatever is currently challenging. It’s a time to
share best practices and focus on instruction, not
operational issues. Instructional guides are used to
make sure the entire NC Standard Course of Study
is taught, but the guides leave room for teachers to
determine pacing for their classes.
Students take predictive assessments quarterly. “We
want to look at the data over the course of the school
year and use that information to drive instruction
rather than waiting until the end of the year to
analyze end-of-grade results,” says Troutman Lead
Teacher Kim Rector. All students performing below
expectations work with their teachers and parents to
develop a student support plan.
Weekly benchmark testing determines where students
stand and helps classrooms enact a Plan/Do/Study/
Act model. Students set class goals and review their
progress according to weekly tests. “They’re running
their own classroom and taking responsibility,” says
Third Creek Principal Amy Rhyne. “Now, you have to
look at what they’re saying. They may say they need
10 minutes after lunch to review reading questions
with a buddy and that’s reasonable. They may say
they want to wear their bathing suits to school and
that’s not.” “It’s very concrete to them when they
see the predictive assessment data,” says Troutman
Principal Kim Cressman.
Teachers at both schools focus on the data and on
small-group instruction using skill-based learning
targets. Reading achievement increased by 20
percent for Third Creek’s Hispanic students in
2005-06. “People ask what we did for that group,
but we didn’t do anything that we don’t do for all of
our students,” says Rhyne. “It’s all about knowing
where they are and moving forward from there.”
Kim Rector, Lead Teacher at Troutman Elementary School in
Iredell County, meets with a team of teachers for structured,
collaborative planning discussions.
Cane River Middle (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: 6-8
• Location: Yancey County, Burnsville
• Total Students: 275
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 92 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 54.9 percent
• English Language Learners: 4.4 percent
• Special Education Students: 17.8 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
79.2 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: In science class, sixth graders
recently examined owl pellets to discover that
small rodents were the bird’s chief food.
The personal approach is the core ingredient to
student success at Cane River Middle in Yancey
County. The school uses its Title I money primarily
to hire tutors. Rather than pulling students who need
extra help from different classes, all sixth- and seventh-grade
students receive extra help in daily study hall
sessions led by retired teachers. “We looked for the
3
best and we got the best,” says Principal Beverly
Brown of the school’s tutors. “That’s the key right
there. You’ve got to have teachers who are good.”
A common planning period helps teachers support
each other. Teachers in this small middle school teach
multiple subjects, and all teachers need to be ready to
help their students in the basics – grammar, writing,
math basic operations and problem solving.
The personal approach goes beyond teaching to
include many elements that affect learning for
middle school students. For instance:
• Sixth grade teachers visit the three elementary
feeder schools to talk to their prospective
students’ fifth grade teachers each spring.
• Each summer features “locker day,” when
sixth grade initiates practice working their
locker combinations.
• Each student chooses a trusted teacher in the
school as his/her coach to whom he/she can talk
about issues of concern.
• Each student has the opportunity to participate
in an anonymous survey about bullying.
• Unlike many middle schools, Cane River Middle
focuses on parent involvement.
Science is an integrated part of the curriculum at
Cane River Middle.
2007-2009
BIENNIAL BUDGET REQUEST FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
35
The State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction have one guiding
mission: “that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive
for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century.” The biennial
budget outlined below enables North Carolina public schools to fully embrace this mission
and these goals of providing a 21st century education. This request reflects the goals in place
to accomplish this mission.
I. Globally Competitive Students
North Carolina schools will produce globally competitive students.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Continue funding for the Enhancing Education through Technology Competitive
Grant (a Federal grant that is being eliminated). Funds were distributed based
on competitive application to 10 Impact Schools to increase the school’s ability
to deliver classroom instruction through the use of technology. (10 grants at
$400,000 each)
$ 4,000,000
2 Expand funding for children with Special Needs: Additional funding is required
to reach the State Board-targeted funding ratio of 2.5 times the State average per
pupil funding level (inclusive of all funding sources). We estimate that we are
currently funding between 1.9 and 1.95. This request is to fund 25 percent of the
additional needed resources.
$ 25,000,000
3 Pay fee for low income students to take AP/IB exams (non-recurring). $ 250,000
4 Expand critical languages (e.g., Farsi, Urdu, Chinese). $ 1,000,000
5 Fund the Graduation Project (trainer and pilot management tool for project). $ 750,000
6 Expand Learn and Earn into 20 more high schools bringing total to 54 and provides
planning grants to 20 more high schools. ($8,232,388 R and $1,433,360 NR)
$ 9,665,748
36
II. 21st Century Professionals
North Carolina public school will be led by 21st Century professionals.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Fund one, full-time mentor for every 15 newly hired teachers in their 1st-3rd year
of teaching and every 15 new instructional support personnel in the 1st-2nd year.
$ 35,000,000
2 Develop/implement a focused training program for science, social studies,
and literacy to improve 21st century classroom instruction [$30,000 per LEA
< 20,000 in ADM (96) and $50,000 other (19)].
$ 3,830,000
3 Support course attainment by lateral entry teacher (5,675 lateral entry teachers;
two courses per year at $250 per course).
$ 2,837,500
4 Expand Literacy Coaches to an additional 100 middle schools ($57,044 times 100). $ 5,704,400
III. Healthy and Responsible Students
North Carolina public school students will be healthy and responsible.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Expand kindergarten school breakfast program (based on the initiating
formula and an additional 106 schools).
$ 459,255
2 Offset the loss of revenue as we implement new standards for child nutrition. $ 15,000,000
IV. Leadership
Leadership will guide innovation in North Carolina public schools.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Fund differential pay among elementary, middle (615) and high school (492) principals
and assistant principals based on time demands of job. Pay middle school 10 percent
more than elementary and high school 15 percent more than elementary.
$ 10,342,313
2 Implement a mentor program for principals.
(790 < 3 years of experience; therefore, 1:15 = 55 positions)
$ 3,837,900
3 Fund assistance teams from recurring appropriations. (Currently, most of the
funding needed for assistance teams, turnaround teams, and LEA assistance is
funded from State Public School Fund reversions.) To assure continued service,
all needed resources should be funded from recurring appropriations.
$ 10,300,000
37
V. 21st Century Systems
North Carolina public schools will be governed and supported by 21st Century systems.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Increase funding for staff development categorical allotment. (currently $12.3 million) $ 2,000,000
2 Fund new salary increments and signing bonuses for principals in hard-to-staff
schools (defined as a composite of < 60 percent of 195 schools @ $15,000 each).
$ 2,925,000
3 Increase one month of employment for assistant principals so the ratio to
students will decrease from 1:80 to 1:72.5.
$ 11,441,672
4 Fully fund the school connectivity initiative proposed during the last session of the
General Assembly. $6 million in non-recurring funds was appropriated in FY 2006-07.
$ 24,000,000
5 Establish a base-line cost to establish 21st century classrooms as we implement
the connectivity listed above. Classrooms would be equipped with digital white
board technology, data projector, computers, document cameras; each school
provides a technology facilitator. The cost would be $7,233 per classroom.
Cost was estimated using 10 schools/406 classrooms per LEA in 41 LEAs
(with a 189-classroom reserve). The other LEAs will be phased-in over time.
$121,766,143
6 Increase funding factor for Academically and Intellectually Gifted by 10 percent
from $1,013 to $1,114 (funded based on 4 percent of ADM).
$ 5,810,832
7 Reduce the allotment ratio by one for each allotment category of DSSF.
(Hold the 16 originally funded LEAs harmless.)
$ 39,881,653
8 Fund a School Resource Officer for every 1,000 students in middle schools.
(Total SROs = 341 @ $37,838 ($12.9 million); 47.7 percent State-funded = 163)
$ 6,200,000
9 Expand the More at Four Program from 18,653 to 21,853 slots and
increase the per-child amount by $200 to $4,250.
$ 22,903,596
38
VI. Agency Request
The NC Department of Public Instruction’s agency request will provide additional capacity to continue
current levels of support and services to local school districts.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Add staff member to assist with NCDPI employee induction and training. $ 51,720
2 Fund the Plant Operations Section from appropriations, rather than receipts,
making engineering support available to all LEAs.
$ 826,164
3 State-fund the Federal grants, Enhancing Education Through Technology and
Evaluating Technology, which are being eliminated. $375,148 is to fund 2.2 FTE
currently employed at NCDPI and create two new positions currently under contract.
$ 375,148
4 Fund two permanent DPI positions to provide professional development to LEAs on
21st Century teaching and learning skills. (currently staffed by Teachers-on-Loan)
$ 158,000
5 Add a middle grades English Language Arts consultant to better assist LEAs. $ 67,100
6 Add a consultant in the Exceptional Children Division to provide full-time leadership and
technical assistance to LEAs in implementing the Positive Behavior Support initiative.
$ 90,000
7 Add three regional consultants in the Exceptional Children Division to train and
provide technical assistance to LEAs implementing Response to Intervention.
$ 270,000
8 Increase Governors School funding to provide $20 more per week for the 800
students attending (current budget supports $128 per week). In addition, provide
a 5.5 percent increase to the faculty.
$ 126,314
9 State-fund 4.82 FTE paid from the Title V Innovative Programs Federal grant
which was reduced by 50 percent in 2005-06. (two federal positions eliminated)
$ 384,549
10 Establish a reserve to fund 5.04 FTE paid from the Safe and Drug Free Schools
Federal grant which could be eliminated in 2007-08.
$ 431,008
11 Continue the non-recurring reserve of funds to be used to bring NCDPI‘s
information technology applications into compliance with State-wide architecture
requirements. ($2 million funded in FY 2006-07)
$ 2,000,000
12 Add two consultants, programmer, data analyst and a program assistant for the
State testing program.
$ 391,360
AGENCY REQUEST $ 5,171,363
EXPANSION BUDGET CAP $ 370,077,375
AVAILABLE $ (0)
500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,950.75, or $5.90 per copy.
In compliance with federal law, NC Public Schools administers all State-operated educational programs, employment
activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military
service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.
Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination issues should be directed to:
Dr. Elsie C. Leak, Associate Superintendent :: Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services
6307 Mail Service Center :: Raleigh, NC 27699-6307 :: Telephone 919-807-3761 :: Fax 919-807-3767
Visit us on the Web:: www.ncpublicschools.org

2004 | 2006
B I ENNI A L R E POR T
Future-Ready Schools:
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF NORTH CAROLINA State Board of Education | Department of Public Instruction
Future-Ready Schools:
PREPARING STUDENTS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
A Message from State Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson .................................. 4
A Message from State Board of Education Chairman Howard N. Lee ................................................................ 6
State Board of Education Member Profiles ............................................................................................................ 8
Supporting Future-Ready Schools
Leadership and Innovation .................................................................................................................................... 14
Future-Ready Students | Goals for the 21st Century ................................................................................ 17
IMPACT Schools ........................................................................................................................................... 18
Support for Schools .............................................................................................................................................. 20
NC WISE Project Provides Data Support to Schools.................................................................................. 23
Focus on Learning ................................................................................................................................................. 24
Snapshots of School Success ...................................................................................................................... 28
Biennial Budget Request ....................................................................................................................................... 34
Table of Contents
2004 | 2006
B I ENNI A L R E POR T
a message from...
STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
Dr. June St. Clair Atkinson
History and personal experiences leave a strong
imprint on how we think about school. We remember
the thrill of learning to do something new, the
satisfaction of strong friendships and the anchoring
familiarity of the routine of school. While it is good
to hold on to these positives as a firm foundation,
students today also need the benefit of new methods,
innovative technologies and a renewed vision of public
schooling. They need an education to prepare them for
the 21st century – in terms of its tools, its ways of work
and its competitive and entrepreneurial spirit.
The public school of the 21st century looks different.
Students and teachers use technology – computers,
MP3 players, Smart Boards and other tools – as a
routine way of learning. The teacher does not stand
and impart knowledge to students all day long.
Instead, she or he coaches student learning and work
that is authentic and relevant to the world today.
Students thoroughly learn facts and skills – and they
apply them in meaningful ways.
In some North Carolina schools, this vision of
21st century learning is already a reality. In most
of our schools, we have much work to do. The
2007-09 budget request from the State Board of
Education and Department of Public Instruction
represents the resources we will need in order to
move forward with a 21st century mission and
goals. The workplace and global economy have
changed dramatically. Competition and work are
global for every type of product and service. Work is
completed on 24-hour cycles that depend on a web
of technology and people who may be on another
continent just as easily as in the office next door.
Students in our schools need education that reflects
the challenges they will face as adults.
At the state level, the NC Department of Public
Instruction has a staff of 659 that serves 115 school
districts, 2,338 public and charter schools and their
approximately 95,000 teachers. These numbers and
the size of our state require us to be strategic about
our work. We must make the most of our efforts
to provide leadership for innovation, support for
schools and districts, and a continual focus on student
achievement and appropriate standards to strengthen
North Carolina’s competitiveness.
Thank you for your continued support of North
Carolina’s public schools.
June St. Clair Atkinson, Ed.D.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction
a message from...
CHAIRMAN, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Howard N. Lee
North Carolina’s public schools rise to challenges.
In 1996-97, when our State initiated the ABCs of
Public Education, only 12 elementary and middle
schools met the standard of our highest recognition
category, and 56.7 percent of schools met the
growth standard expected by the State Board
of Education. By the time that the original ABCs
formula was used in 2004-05 for the last time, 74.6
percent of all schools (K-12) had met the state’s
growth standard, and 539 (or one-fourth) of all
schools had met the highest category of recognition.
This year, the State Board of Education raised the
performance standard for North Carolina schools.
After a decade of stable expectations, we believed
that it was time for a new level of rigor and
standards for public schools. To that end and in
response to General Assembly direction, the ABCs
formula was thoroughly reviewed by State and
national testing experts, and new formulas were
developed to improve the consistency and stability
of ABCs results from year-to-year. In addition, the
standard for student performance on the State’s
end-of-grade mathematics assessment was raised
in 2005-06. Federal requirements for student
performance continue to increase as we head
toward the required goal of 100 percent proficiency
by 2013-14. The result of all of this change is higher
expectations for our schools and new challenges
to meet. Just as our schools rose to the challenge
of the original ABCs formula, we believe that
our schools will work diligently to meet the new
standards before them.
Thanks to the strong support of the Governor, the
General Assembly and the business community,
North Carolina was one of the first states to pioneer
school-level accountability and to widely and
publicly report the results. That means our state
also is one of the first to grapple with the long-term
questions and transitions that naturally occur when
an accountability model is in place for a number
of years. Chief among our work priorities is
improving this process, including the assessments
that students take, and continuing to seek ways to
accurately and fairly reflect our progress toward
graduating students who are well-suited and
prepared for 21st century challenges.
The State Board of Education takes very seriously
the challenge of helping every child in North
Carolina be prepared for successful adulthood in
the global economy. We have set a new mission
that every public school student will graduate from
high school, globally competitive for work and
postsecondary education (and prepared for life in
the 21st century). This mission guides and supports
all of our work as we revise curricula, license and set
standards for teachers and administrators, create
an environment for healthy student development,
encourage innovation, and build business and
technology infrastructures to support schools.
The General Assembly and Governor are essential
allies in our work. We look forward to continuing
our partnership as we re-create our schools to
meet the demands of the 21st century.
Howard N. Lee
Chairman, State Board of Education
The State Board of Education
MEMBER PROFILES
KATHY A. TAFT
Greenville
WAYNE MCDEVITT
Asheville
MICHELLE HOWARD-VITAL
Wilmington
MELISSA BARTLETT
Raleigh
EDGAR D. MURPHY, III
Durham
JOHN TATE, III
Charlotte
SHIRLEY E. HARRIS
Troy
PATRICIA N. WILLOUGHBY
Raleigh
HOWARD N. LEE
Chairman | Raleigh
JUNE ST. CLAIR ATKINSON
State Superintendent
BEVERLY PERDUE
Lieutenant Governor
RICHARD MOORE
State Treasurer
JANE P. NORWOOD
Vice Chair | Charlotte
R. THOMAS SPEED
Boone
Howard N. Lee | Chairman
5th Education District
State Board of Education, 6302 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-6302 | 919.807.3391
Howard N. Lee was appointed to the Board on
May 15, 2003, to fill an unexpired term. He then
was unanimously elected Chairman of the Board
by its members, a post he has held ever since.
Mr. Lee, the first African American to serve as
Board chairman, is a former mayor of Chapel Hill
and a former member of the North Carolina Senate.
During his legislative career, the Chairman earned
a reputation as an education advocate with special
interests in school safety, school accountability and
teacher quality. Mr. Lee was instrumental in the
passage of the original ABCs of Public Education
and the Excellent Schools Act of 1997. On behalf
of the Board, Mr. Lee is active on the Southern
Regional Education Board and the Education
Commission of the States.
Beverly Eaves Perdue | Lieutenant Governor
Hawkins-Hartness House, 2401 Mail Service Center,
Raleigh, NC 27699-0401 | 919.733.7350
Lt. Gov. Beverly Perdue, re-elected to office in 2004,
is an ex officio member of the Board. A former
classroom teacher, she came into the second
highest elected office in North Carolina after
serving five terms in the North Carolina Senate
and two terms in the North Carolina House of
Representatives. In 1999, she received the North
Carolina Association of Educators’ President’s
Award for her work on innovative education
legislation. As Lieutenant Governor, she has been
an activist on behalf of educational technology and
healthier lifestyles for children and adults. The NC
Virtual Public School is a project spearheaded by
the Business Education Technology Alliance, which
the Lieutenant Governor founded.
The State Board of Education is responsible for supervising and administering the public school
system and the educational funds provided for its support. Board members include the Lieutenant
Governor, the State Treasurer and 11 other members appointed by the Governor. Eight members
represent the State’s education districts, and three are appointed at-large. Appointed members
serve eight-year terms. The policies developed by the State Board of Education set the direction for
all aspects of Department of Public Instruction and local public school organization and operation.
Eight Education Districts
of North Carolina
10
Richard H. Moore | State Treasurer
Albemarle Building, 325 N. Salisbury Street,
Raleigh, NC 27603-1385 | 919.508.5176
A former Federal prosecutor, member of the NC
General Assembly, and Secretary of the Department
of Crime Control and Public Safety, State Treasurer
Richard Moore serves as an ex officio member of the
Board. He serves as Chair of the NC Local Government
Commission, the NC Tax Review Board, the State
Banking Commission, and the Board of Trustees of
the NC Retirement System and also serves on the NC
Community College Board and the Council of State.
A national leader in the fight to protect shareholder
rights, he has authored both investment protection
and mutual fund protection principles adopted by
many fund managers across the country. Treasurer
Moore is especially interested in increasing the
financial literacy of North Carolinians by including
such information in the public schools curriculum.
Jane P. Norwood | Vice Chair
6th Education District
7026 Ballentyne Court, Charlotte, NC 28210-4935
704.554.9894
Jane P. Norwood has served on the Board
since September 1990, and brings an important
perspective to the Board from her work as a
professor at Appalachian State University who
supervises student teachers. Dr. Norwood’s years of
service to public education in North Carolina started
in 1977 when she was appointed to the original
Annual Testing Commission where she served
three terms. She also has served for several terms
as a North Carolina representative to the Southern
Regional Education Board. She is a past President
of both the North Carolina College Professors of
Reading and the North Carolina Council of the
International Reading Association. Currently,
she is Chair of the Board’s Quality Teachers,
Administrators, and Staff priority area and co-chair
of the Educational Liaison Committee. Dr. Norwood
also is a member of the North Carolina Teaching
Fellows Commission; the Liaison Committee of the
State Board and the UNC and Community College
systems; and the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. She has also
served on the Teacher Retention Task Force;
and the Study Committee on Physical Education.
Dr. Norwood’s term ends March 31, 2007.
Kathy A. Taft
1st Education District
3024 Dartmouth Drive, Greenville, NC 27858-6745
252.355.7299
Kathy A. Taft was appointed to a second term on
the Board in 2003. A long-time supporter of public
education, a former Vice Chair of the Pitt County
Board of Education, and a founding member of
the Pitt County Communities in Schools Program,
she has been actively involved in the State Board’s
work. She chairs the High Student Performance
area for the State Board. She also serves on the
Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance,
and Relationships; the Charter Schools Advisory
Committee; the Compliance Commission for
Accountability; and the Liaison Committee of the
Board and the University and Community College
systems. She is the Southern Area Director for the
National Association of State Boards of Education
(NASBE). Her term expires March 31, 2011.
11
Michelle Howard-Vital
2nd Education District
Interim Chancellor, Winston-Salem State University
601 S. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive,
Winston-Salem, NC 27110 | 336.750.2045
Michelle Howard-Vital was appointed to the Board
by Gov. Michael F. Easley in 2001. She currently serves
as the interim Chancellor for Winston-Salem State
University. She has held various academic positions
in her 30 years in higher education with the university
system. Dr. Howard-Vital has published a variety of
articles, reviews, an encyclopedia article and ERIC
documents, and co-authored a book entitled, Entering
School Leadership. She also has been the principal
investigator on numerous grants and the executive
director of over 50 original cable access television
shows. On the State Board of Education, she serves on
the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor, Relevance
and Relationships; the Study Committee on Physical
Education; and the NC Virtual Interim Advisory Board.
Her term expires March 31, 2009.
Edgar D. Murphy, III
3rd Education District
Nortel Networks, PO Box 13010, D17/02/0F2
RTP, NC 27709-3010 | 919.997.3045
Edgar D. Murphy, III, was appointed to the Board
in 1999. Mr. Murphy is currently responsible for
Community/Government Relations at Nortel
in Research Triangle Park and is well known in
business/education circles for developing successful
partnerships between public education leaders and
senior business leaders from the technology sector.
He serves on the Durham Public Education Network
Board of Directors; the North Carolina Council on
Economic Education Board of Directors; the NC
Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education
Center Board; the NC E-learning Commission; and
as Chairman of the NC Citizens for Business and
Industry’s Education Committee. On behalf of the
State Board, Mr. Murphy also chairs the Healthy
Students in Safe, Orderly and Caring Schools priority
area and is a member of the Liaison Committee of
the State Board and the UNC and Community College
systems; the Ad Hoc Committee on Academic Rigor,
Relevance and Relationships; the Committee on
Graduate Pay Approval and Non-Teaching Work
Experience; and the NC Virtual Interim Advisory
Board. His term expires March 31, 2007.
Shirley Harris
4th Education District
229 Fox Den Road, Troy, NC 27371 | 910.576.3181
Shirley E. Harris was appointed to the Board in
May 2005. Mrs. Harris is a seasoned educator,
holding North Carolina teaching certifications in
Language Arts, Social Studies, and Mathematics,
as well as National Board of Professional Teaching
Standards Certification in Early Adolescent English/
Language Arts. She also holds certification in
Adolescent Literacy, Mentoring, Systemic Change,
and NBCT Facilitation. Mrs. Harris has taught in
public elementary, middle and high schools in North
Carolina for 30 years. She also served as a high school
Comprehensive School Reform Facilitator while
remaining in the classroom. Mrs. Harris’ teaching
awards include Montgomery County Teacher of the
Year (TOY), NC Regional TOY Finalist and NCCTM
Regional Outstanding Elementary Mathematics
Teacher. Her term expires March 31, 2013.
12
R. Thomas Speed
7th Education District
PO Box 432, Boone, NC 28607-0432 | 828.264.1191
Tom Speed, an attorney from Boone, was appointed
to the State Board of Education on May 15, 2003.
Formerly from Franklin County and from a family
involved in tobacco farming and raising cattle,
he has extensive experience and knowledge in
the technical and business aspects of agriculture.
His current law practice is limited to criminal and
civil trial practices. He is actively involved in the
Appalachian State University Athletic Boosters Club,
is a member of the North Carolina Fraternal Order of
Police and the Winston-Salem Scottish Rite Bodies.
His term expires March 31, 2011.
Wayne McDevitt
8th Education District
PO Box 63, Marshall, NC 28753-0063 | 828.649.2144
Wayne McDevitt was appointed to the State Board
of Education in 2001. He has extensive government
experience at The University of North Carolina
and as a former Chief of Staff for Gov. James B.
Hunt, Jr. and as Secretary of the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources. Mr. McDevitt is
the recipient of UNC Asheville’s Achievement Award,
Distinguished Alumnus Award and the Chancellor’s
Medallion. His extensive record of public service led
the Asheville Citizen-Times to recognize him as “one
of Western North Carolina’s 50 most influential people
of the 20th century.” Mr. McDevitt has a strong
record of advocacy for education and children
including service on the boards of NC Partnership
for Children/Smart Start, NC PTA, Baptist Children’s
Homes, and the boards of trustees of two
universities. He currently serves on the boards of
Leadership North Carolina, Western North Carolina
Tomorrow, Western North Carolina Communities,
and the Cherokee Preservation Foundation. Mr.
McDevitt currently chairs the Board’s Effective and
Efficient Operations priority area and is a member of
the Board’s Select Committee on Lateral Entry. His
term expires March 31, 2009.
Melissa Bartlett
Member-at-Large
20301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
919.715.7108
Melissa E. Bartlett was appointed to the Board
in May 2005. She holds North Carolina teaching
certifications in K-12 ESL, 6-8 Language Arts, 9-12
English, and she has National Board Certification in
Early Adolescent Language Arts from the National
Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Mrs.
Bartlett has taught in middle and high schools and
in community colleges in North Carolina, and has
taught Title-I reading in the U.S. Virgin Islands, “O”
Levels in Kenya, and EFL at the English Language
Institute at the American University in Cairo. Mrs.
Bartlett was 2002-03 North Carolina Teacher of
the Year and a finalist for 2003 National Teacher
of the Year. In addition, Mrs. Bartlett has served
on various educational policy committees and
commissions while remaining in the classroom.
She is Director, Center for 21st Century Skills, NC
Business Committee for Education. She also serves
on the Board’s Ad Hoc Committee on Academic
Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Her term
expires March 31, 2013.
13
John Tate, III
Member-at-Large
1431 Biltmore Drive, Charlotte, NC 28207-2556 | 704.332.5538
John Tate, a Charlotte native and businessman,
was appointed to the State Board in February 2003
to fill an unexpired term and was reappointed in
May 2003. Mr. Tate has made the banking industry
his career for the past 30 years, and his current
assignment at Wachovia includes working with
commercial clients. His community service includes
membership on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board
of Education from 1990-1997 as well as involvement
with Communities in Schools, the YMCA, Success by
Six, Habitat for Humanity and the UNC-CH School of
Social Work‘s Board of Advisors. Mr. Tate serves on
the Select Committee on Lateral Entry, the Teacher
Retention Task Force and the Committee on School
Leadership. His term expires March 31, 2011.
Patricia N. Willoughby
Member-at-Large
20301 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-0301 | 919.715.3535
Patricia Nickens Willoughby was appointed to the State
Board of Education in May 2001 to serve an eight-year
term – interrupted for a short time during which she
served as State Superintendent of Public Instruction for
approximately nine months in 2004-05. Ms. Willoughby
is a former classroom teacher and a former faculty
member of the Meredith College School of Education.
She is currently the Executive Director of the North
Carolina Business Committee for Education, a non-profit
whose focus is K-12 education. As a Board member,
Ms. Willoughby has served on the NASBE Study Group
for High School Reform and represents the State Board
on the Gates-funded New Schools Project. She also
participates as a member of the Ad Hoc Committee on
Academic Rigor, Relevance and Relationships. Her term
expires March 31, 2009.
Teacher Advisors
• Diana Beasley | 2006-2007 Teacher of the Year
Hickory City Schools | Hickory High School
1234 3rd Street NE, Hickory, NC 28601
828.322.5860 | Term: June 2006 - June 2008
• Wendy Miller | 2005-2006 Teacher of the Year
Craven County Schools | James W. Smith Elementary
150 Koonce Town Road, Cove City, NC 28523
252.514.6466 | Term: June 2005 - June 2007
Principal Advisor
• Meghan Doyle | 2006 SBE Principal of the Year Advisor
Onslow County Schools | Hunters Creek Middle School
200 Broadhurst Road, Jacksonville, NC 28540 | 910.455.2211
Superintendent Advisor
• Larry Price | Governor’s Appointee
2006-07 NCASA Superintendent of the Year
Wilson County Schools | PO Box 2048, Wilson, NC 27894
252.399.7711
Local Board of Education Advisor
• Carroll “Carr” Ipock | 2006 NCSBA Raleigh Dingman Award
Craven County Board of Education
3600 Trent Road, New Bern, NC 28562 | 252.514.6300
Student Advisors
Governor’s Appointees | Junior and Senior High School Students
• Melissa McCoy, Senior | East Chapel Hill High
1709 High School Road, Chapel Hill, NC 27516
• Danielle Alston, Junior | William G. Enloe High School
128 Claredon Crescent, Raleigh, NC 27610
Leadership and Innovation
SUPPORTING FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
15
In North Carolina, some public schools already
exhibit many of the traits that exemplify 21st century
learning – strong and appropriate use of technology
for instruction, learning that is relevant and aligned
with real-world applications, and strong support for
professionals who are encouraged to be innovative
and lead their schools forward. In other areas,
schools still need to make the transition to new ways
of providing instruction and learning opportunities
for students. The State Board of Education and
Department of Public Instruction are working to
assist schools and districts in this time of transition.
Setting New Standards
For a decade, North Carolina public schools have
focused attention on the basics of reading and
mathematics in the elementary and middle grades
and on student performance in the five core courses
that are commonly taken by all high school students.
This attention has resulted in more students mastering
basic literacy and mathematics skills needed for future
learning, but as the demands of our global economy
have accelerated, it has become clear to the State
Board of Education and to the business community
in North Carolina that the State’s expectations for
student learning must increase accordingly. It is time
to move standards to a new level and to foster an
unprecedented school environment for students to
grow into successful adults.
Healthy, well-adjusted students are better prepared to
be high-achieving students. In recognition of the role
that schools can play in this, the Board has set several
policies related to health. Schools are required to
provide elementary and middle school students with
a total of 30 minutes of physical activity each day. By
the end of the 2007-08 school year, elementary schools
will be required to implement nutrition standards for
food and beverages available to students and staff.
In addition, 78 of the state’s 115 school districts have
implemented tobacco-free policies forbidding the use
of tobacco on school grounds by children and adults.
Students who entered ninth grade for the first time in
the fall of 2006 are required to meet stricter high school
graduation standards. Standards include passing each
of the core, end-of-course tests (Algebra I, English I,
US History, Civics and Economics, and Biology) and
successfully completing a graduation project that
demonstrates the ability to integrate information and
skills to address a real-world issue or problem. In
addition, the State Board approved in December 2006 a
framework for a required core course of study effective
with the entering freshmen of 2008. The proposed
framework is a 21-unit core course of study that will
include a four-unit endorsement in a specialty area of
choice. The new core will require:
• 4 units of English
• 4 units of mathematics
• 3 units of science
• 3 units of social studies
• 2 units of a second language
• 1 unit of health/physical education
• an endorsement of at least four units in one of the
following areas: career-technical, arts education,
Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC),
Advanced Placement/International Baccalaureate,
second language or other.
Details about implementing this core course of study
will be finalized in early 2007 following a series of
regional meetings with educators, parents, students
and community members across North Carolina. One
key part of the implementation decisions will concern
course substitutions that might be allowed in certain
cases. The occupational course of study will still be
available for some students with disabilities.
16
Other state graduation requirements will continue in
place. Local boards of education continue to have the
authority to add to State requirements.
Higher standards extend to elementary and middle
schools also. In 2006, the State’s mathematics
assessments for students in grades 3-8 were
redesigned to align with a revised and more rigorous
mathematics curriculum. In selecting the levels of
achievement required for each of the assessments’
four achievement levels, the State Board of Education
raised the standard for passing in 2005-06 – the first
significantly higher standard in a decade. In two years,
when a revised English language arts curriculum and
its accompanying assessments are in place, similar
action will be considered.
In September 2006, the State Board of Education took
the bold step of approving a new mission and goals
– all with an eye toward the needs of today’s students
who will use 21st century technology and face new
workplace, economic and cultural challenges. These
goals are driving the Department of Public Instruction’s
work and are expected to direct public schools for
years to come. Not only do the demands of 21st
century business practices impact the technology used
in schools, they also affect the curriculum, assessments
and instructional practices. As this report went to
press, town hall-style meetings were being held across
all regions of North Carolina to raise awareness of
the new mission and goals with local educators and
community members and to gather ideas from them
concerning implementation of these goals.
The bold innovations and improvements that are
needed for North Carolina public schools cannot be
successful without strong partnerships. NCDPI and
the State Board of Education continue to partner with
many other organizations, State and Federal agencies
and the business community to accomplish the
changes that need to occur. These partners include
the Learn and Earn Early College high schools, the
New Schools Project, the Center for 21st Century
Skills, the American Diploma Project, the NC Business
Committee for Education, and the Business Education
Technology Alliance (BETA).
These partnerships provide a framework for many
innovative practices. The NC Virtual Public School,
which began to offer online opportunities to high
school students in 2006, is the result of a partnership
between NCDPI and BETA. Through it, students across
the state will be able to access a variety of coursework
to meet special scheduling, course availability and
other needs. In the spring of 2006, more than 8,000
students were early users of the NC Virtual Public
School when they took online Advanced Placement
exam preparation courses. This way of accessing
additional coursework is expected to grow robustly.
The New Schools Project, (NCNSP) which began in
2003 and is backed by $22.5 million in grants from the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and by similar levels
of support from the NC General Assembly, provides
technical assistance and planning partnerships to
school systems to encourage local efforts to start new
high schools or convert existing comprehensive high
schools into personalized, focused and academically
rigorous schools. A total of 25 high schools have been
redesigned on 16 campuses with the goal of more
than 100 schools in some phase of development by
2008. In addition, NCNSP, in cooperation with the
State Board of Education and the Department of Public
Instruction, is administering the Governor’s Learn and
Earn early college initiative. To date, 33 early colleges
have been created on college and university campuses
across the state. These high schools provide students
with an opportunity to earn a high school diploma and
a community college associate’s degree (or two years
of transferable credit toward a four-year degree) while
learning skills to pursue skilled careers.
17
Future-Ready Students
Goals For the 21st Century
The guiding mission of the North Carolina State Board
of Education is that every public school student will
graduate from high school, globally competitive for
work and postsecondary education and prepared for
life in the 21st century.
NC Public Schools Will Produce Globally
Competitive Students.
• Every student excels in rigorous and relevant core
curriculum that reflects what students need to know
and demonstrate in a global 21st Century environment,
including a mastery of languages, an appreciation of the
arts and competencies in the use of technology.
• Every student’s achievement is measured with an
assessment system that informs instruction and evaluates
knowledge, skills, performance and dispositions needed
in the 21st Century.
• Every student will be enrolled in a course of study designed
to prepare them to stay ahead of international competition.
• Every student uses technology to access and demonstrate
new knowledge and skills that will be needed as a life-long
learner to be competitive in a constantly changing
international environment.
• Every student has the opportunity to graduate from high
school with an Associate’s Degree or college transfer credit.
NC Public Schools Will Be Led By 21st Century Professionals.
• Every teacher will have the skills to deliver 21st Century
content in a 21st Century context with 21st Century
tools and technology that guarantees student learning.
• Every teacher and administrator will use a 21st Century
assessment system to inform instruction and measure 21st
Century knowledge, skills, performance and dispositions.
• Every education professional will receive preparation
in the interconnectedness of the world with knowledge
and skills, including language study.
• Every education professional will have 21st Century
preparation and access to ongoing, high quality
professional development aligned with State Board
of Education priorities.
• Every educational professional uses data to
inform decisions.
NC Public School Students Will Be Healthy and Responsible.
• Every learning environment will be inviting, respectful,
supportive, inclusive and flexible for student success.
• Every school provides an environment in which each child
has positive, nurturing relationships with caring adults.
• Every school promotes a healthy, active lifestyle where
students are encouraged to make responsible choices.
• Every school focuses on developing strong student character,
personal responsibility and community/world involvement.
• Every school reflects a culture of learning that empowers
and prepares students to be life-long learners.
Leadership Will Guide Innovation in NC Public Schools.
• School professionals will collaborate with national
and international partners to discover innovative
transformational strategies that will facilitate change,
remove barriers for 21st Century learning and understand
global connections.
• School leaders will create a culture that embraces change
and promotes dynamic, continuous improvement.
• Educational professionals will make decisions in
collaboration with parents, students, businesses, education
institutions, and faith-based and other community and civic
organizations to impact student success.
• Public school professionals will collaborate with
community colleges and public and private universities
and colleges to provide enhanced educational
opportunities for students.
NC Public Schools Will Be Governed and
Supported By 21st Century Systems.
• Processes are in place for financial planning and budgeting
that focus on resource attainment and alignment with
priorities to maximize student achievement.
• Twenty-first century technology and learning tools are
available and are supported by school facilities that
have the capacity for 21st Century learning.
• Information and fiscal accountability systems are capable
of collecting relevant data and reporting strategic and
operational results.
• Procedures are in place to support and sanction schools that
are not meeting state standards for student achievement.
18
IMPACT Schools Link
Technology and Learning
In 2001, NCDPI’s Instructional Technology Division
established IMPACT Model Schools, a grant-based
program which allows North Carolina’s Title I schools
to compete for funding to incorporate 21st Century
technology tools into eligible North Carolina districts.
Schools do not simply add technology. Teachers,
administrators, media professionals, and technology
professionals completely change their methods of
instruction, team infrastructure, and approaches to
learning under the IMPACT model. Other changes also
occur in collaboration with external organizations,
access to the world’s cultural resources, relationships
with their communities and parents, and students’
awareness and use of state-of-the-art technologies to
research and create their own projects.
Since the grant’s inception, 10 NC schools have
become state-of-the art models for 21st Century
learning, technology and instruction.
IMPACT learning environments contain whiteboards,
digital video projectors and cameras, digital
microphones and speakers, and a significantly
higher-than-average student-to-computer ratio. “This
grant funds personnel, resources and access to the
world,” notes Frances Bradburn, director of DPI’s
Instructional Technology Division. “We also make
our facilities available to students, parents and the
community at large after hours,” said one media
technician. “Many of our families don’t have access
to computers at home.” IMPACT pays professionals
for their extended workload.
“Education using technology becomes more
relevant to both teacher and student,” says
Bradburn. “The IMPACT model is aligned to
national standards for media and technology
programs and based on valid research,” she adds.
IMPACT reflects the recommendations of the
revised North Carolina Educational Technology
Plan (2005-2009) and acknowledges the importance
of staffing each school in North Carolina with
• The number of Internet-connected computers in schools continues to grow. In 2006, there were
3.43 students for every Internet-connected computer.
• There are 5.74 students per classroom computer.
• Statewide, the typical school district has 21.29 percent of the needed instructional support and
43.27 percent of the needed technical support in place to support instructional technology.
did you know?
INNOVATION AT WORK
19
both a school library media coordinator and
an instructional technology facilitator. Further,
the IMPACT model assures that the media and
technology resources and conditions necessary to
support the teaching and learning processes are
present. Participating teachers and students thrive.
“The IMPACT model allows my students to connect
with cultures beyond their own limited borders,”
one teacher says. A media professional adds, “It’s
all about flexibility, collaboration and change.”
An example of what can happen when a school district
embraces technology as a change agent is Perquimans
County Schools. In 2006, the Consortium for School
Networking (CoSN) announced that Perquimans
County Schools, located in rural northeastern North
Carolina, was the nation’s TEAM Award Winner.
The system consists of four schools. Although the
district has little industry and one of the lowest
average incomes in North Carolina, “our parents,
administrators, business community, and teachers
place a high priority on using technology to
overcome the barriers of isolation and poverty,”
notes Perquimans County Schools Superintendent
Kenneth Wells.
Technology planning involves principals and central
office staff coming together to determine how to pool
resources to get technology in the hands of students
and teachers. The district supplies each preK-8
school with a locally funded technology facilitator
who works with teachers and students to ensure that
technology is integrated seamlessly into instruction.
Additionally, the district provides two locally-funded
technicians and a district-level technology coordinator.
Perquimans initially funded this effort with a grant
from the federal No Child Left Behind initiative.
Because of the IMPACT model’s tremendous success,
the district realized that they had to implement the
model throughout the K-12 environment. The district
managed through grants, donations, State and Federal
funding to achieve a computer-to-student ratio of
less than 1:3, with steady growth in the numbers of
computers each year.
The IMPACT Schools are
Anson County, Wadesboro Elementary
Ashe County, Westwood Elementary
Avery County, Crossnore Elementary
Cumberland County, Spring Lake Middle
Edgecombe County, West Edgecombe Middle
Martin County, E.J. Hayes Elementary
Nash/Rocky Mount, Williford Elementary
Perquimans County, Perquimans Central
Wilson City, Wells Elementary
Yancey County, Clearmont Elementary
Support for Schools
PROVIDING A FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
21
Support for Schools
The 115 school districts and 100 charter schools
across North Carolina serve diverse communities
and operate with a significant amount of local control
over how schools are organized and operated and
over how instruction is delivered to students. The role
of the State Board of Education and the Department
of Public Instruction is to provide the policy and
resource framework and support for local districts
and schools to succeed and thrive. This support
is broad and includes an array of services such as
financial allocations, support for improved instruction
of students, leadership development, teacher and
administrator and other educator licensure, approval
of teacher education programs, student data
collection, school construction and insurance services,
child nutrition services and other ongoing work. The
level of State support needed can vary depending
on the school district and its local resources.
The role of NCDPI as a change agent for local
schools and districts that are struggling with
low student performance and other issues has
intensified over the past few years and expanded
well beyond assistance to low-performing schools
identified by the ABCs of Public Education.
For the past decade, North Carolina has deployed
specialized assistance teams to work alongside
principals and faculty in schools identified by the
State Board of Education as low performing under
the ABCs accountability model. Since the ABCs
began, 85 schools have received assistance from
these mandatory assistance teams to help them
improve student achievement and instruction.
Other schools have received voluntary assistance at
their request. Teams are composed of experienced,
active and retired educators who receive specialized
training in providing assistance.
Based on the success of the school-based
assistance teams, the NC Department of Public
Instruction and State Board of Education developed
a district-level version – Local Education Agency
Assistance Program (LEAAP) – to provide services
to school districts that were low performing. LEAAP
team members help districts plan more strategically
and use student achievement data more effectively
to match resources with areas of greatest need. The
LEAAP model provides varying degrees of support,
guidance and services to districts, with the level
of service determined by district performance on
both the ABCs and the Federal No Child Left Behind
law. Primary aims of the LEAAP are to improve
student academic performance and to build
internal capacity in the central office and schools’
leadership leading to positive change and continual
growth. School districts participating in LEAAP are
encouraged to partner with other districts to share
best practices and resources and to use other State
services such as those offered by the Center for
School Leadership Development.
In addition to State-mandated assistance under
the ABCs, the Department of Public Instruction
provides services to schools and districts in Title I
Improvement as defined by the Federal No Child Left
Behind education law. Title I schools (based on their
Federally funded services to students who qualify for
free- and reduced-price lunch) can be placed in
Title I School Improvement status if the school does
not make Adequate Yearly Progress. Approximately
half of North Carolina’s 2,338 public and charter
schools are Title I schools, and every school district
in North Carolina is considered a Title I district based
on their receipt of these Federal resources.
Being in Title I School Improvement involves a
sequence of sanctions, including offering public
school choice, supplemental education services for
22
qualifying students and other increasingly stringent
actions. North Carolina has 301 schools in some
level of Title I School Improvement. In addition, there
are 62 school districts in Title I District improvement,
which also brings its own list of required responses
beginning with adjustments to the district’s
improvement plan. As the Federal targets become
more difficult in anticipation of reaching the required
100 percent student proficiency by 2013-14, more
districts are anticipated to enter Title I Improvement
in North Carolina as well as in all other states.
The Department of Public Instruction provides state
technical assistance to schools in Title I School
Improvement through regional-based consultants.
Also, state assistance teams composed of retired
educators, teachers-on-loan and DPI staff provide
assistance in selected schools that are in corrective
action and that may be identified through the ABCs
accountability model. NCDPI is working with local
districts to help them build the capacity to better
address their own improvement needs.
In 2005 and 2006, Gov. Mike Easley directed the
State Board and DPI to launch two special assistance
initiatives – a High School Turnaround Initiative and a
high school financial audit.
The initiative requires high schools that have
fewer than 60 percent of their students performing
proficiently on the State’s end-of-course tests to
choose a proven restructuring model and adopt
it beginning in 2007-08. These high schools
are assigned a “leadership facilitator” whose
major responsibility is to work with the school
and the community to identify an appropriate
restructuring model for the school that will provide
the infrastructure to transition to a college and/or
work-ready environment for students. In addition,
principals are involved in professional development
run by the Principals’ Executive Program and the
Kenan-Flagler School of Business at UNC-Chapel Hill.
High schools that have a performance composite
of less than 70 percent for two consecutive years
will receive visits from turnaround assessment
teams during the 2006-07 school year. In 2006, the
Department of Public Instruction received $944,000
as the first payment of a three-year grant to support
high school turnaround from the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation.
Gov. Easley also has asked The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill and the State Board of
Education to conduct financial performance audits
of all high schools and to conduct site visits at the
37 high schools involved in required restructuring.
This effort aims to ensure that local, State and
Federal funds are being used to their fullest extent
in preparing students for the 21st century.
• Twenty-two schools were assigned ABCs Assistance Teams in 2006-07.
• Three hundred and one schools are in Title I School Improvement under No Child Left Behind.
• Fifty-seven high schools will receive visits from High School Turnaround Assessment Teams in 2006-07.
• Thirty-six school districts are being served in the LEA Assistance Program.
did you know?
23
NC WISE Project Provides
Data Support to Schools
The NC WISE project has undergone a dramatic
transformation since 2004. NCDPI has assumed full
responsibility for NC WISE, absorbing segments of
the project that were once delivered by an outside
vendor. This change is allowing NCDPI to deliver long-promised
functionality, improve stability and reliability
and move forward with statewide deployment.
The first phase of the NC WISE SAS Ad Hoc Reporting
tool is complete and has been delivered to a small
group of school districts to test and provide feedback
on its design, content and performance. This tool
allows users to create a variety of reports to meet the
data needs of school and district personnel. Providing
them with the ability to dynamically create custom
reports allows them to highlight a particular area
of school business. Administrators, educators and
staff can use this data to make decisions that benefit
the schools and communities they serve. Work is
underway on the second and third phases of the
project. The NC WISE SAS Ad Hoc Reporting Tool will
be complete by spring 2007.
User satisfaction continues to increase as they
discover that NC WISE allows educators to
collect more student data than SIMS or other
previous student accounting systems. The real-time
data available in NC WISE helps educators
and administrators monitor and evaluate student
performance and improve communications
between schools and families. NC WISE also
provides the tools to gather the information needed
to support the state’s approximately $6 billion
public school budget to satisfy Federal and State
student accountability requirements and to provide
easier transfer of student information when needed.
Wave 1 deployment of NC WISE was completed in
March 2005 with 36 local school districts and 23 charter
schools joining five pilot districts that converted to NC
WISE between 2000 and 2003. After a year’s hiatus to
resolve issues with the system, deployment is back on
track with Wave 2 to begin in mid-January 2007. When
Wave 2 deployment is complete in March 2007, 33
local school districts and charter schools will join those
that converted to NC WISE during the pilot and Wave 1
years. Statewide deployment of NC WISE is expected
to be completed by 2008.
Focus on Learning
SUPPORTING FUTURE-READY SCHOOLS
25
Focus on Learning
Because of the central role that schools can play in
community life, public schools are hubs of activity in
service to and support of student learning, growth
and development. Schools partner in these activities
with other agencies to strengthen student health,
to support families and to provide community
educational, cultural and recreational opportunities.
Despite these many worthwhile activities, the
schools’ core responsibility remains educating young
people for the future. To that end, the State Board
of Education and Department of Public Instruction
consistently work to keep the primary focus on student
learning and achievement. By setting challenging
standards, ensuring that a strong curriculum is in
place and by supporting accountability for all schools,
the Board keeps the focus on student achievement.
North Carolina has had a state Standard Course of
Study for many decades. The Standard Course of
Study sets the goals and objectives that teachers
and students should meet at every grade level
and in every subject. The Course of Study is on
a constant revision cycle to make sure that it
remains current, relevant and aligned with national
standards in all subjects.
The Standard Course of Study sets the expectations
for learning. The accountability system measures
how well students are learning. North Carolina
is known nationally as a leader in accountability
because it was one of the very first states to use
school-level accountability and to measure student
achievement growth from year to year.
In 2005-06, the State’s ABCs of Public Education
accountability model passed its 10-year anniversary,
and with that, NCDPI and the State Board undertook a
comprehensive review of the model to apply lessons
learned during a decade as one of the United States’
leaders in school-based accountability. The result
was the implementation of new growth formulas to
measure the academic progress of students from year
to year. As a result, the ABCs results for the 2005-06
school year should not be compared to the results
from prior years. These results represent a fresh start
in terms of measuring student achievement. The new
formulas provide greater stability and reliability for
information about student performance. Even with
new formulas, however, the ABCs core emphases
remain fixed on measuring student achievement
growth in addition to the overall percentage of
students who are performing at proficiency or better.
North Carolina’s performance on various student
achievement measures continues to show areas
in which student performance is strong and other
areas where improvements are needed. The National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results
indicate that North Carolina, in many categories,
compares well to the nation’s performance.
EOG Multiple Choice Test Results Chart
Assessment results reported for 2004-05 and earlier did
not include alternate assessments given to some students
with disabilities. Also, mathematics standards were
changed significantly in 2005-06, making comparisons
with prior years inappropriate.
26
National Assessment of Educational Progress
The NAEP assessments are also called “The Nation’s
Report Card.” NAEP standards for performance are
set at a very ambitious level. The “Proficient” level
on NAEP is set differently from the “Proficient” level
for North Carolina’s own state tests. In fact, some
researchers say that NAEP is so challenging that even
some of the best-performing nations in the world
would not meet the “Proficient” standard it sets.
SAT Results
North Carolina is a national leader in gains on the SAT
over time. This is especially significant because North
Carolina continues to have a significant number of
students taking this college entrance exam.
27
• The number of students taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses in North Carolina reached an all-time high
in 2006. A total of 41,038 students took 76,578 AP exams. Students who take these college-level courses are
more likely to complete a bachelor’s degree in four or fewer years, according to The College Board’s research.
• Forty-four percent of North Carolina 2005-06 high school graduates completed the college/university
prep course of study. Another 24 percent completed the college tech prep course of study, and
21 percent a combination course of study. Only 9 percent completed a career prep course of study.
did you know?
28
Snapshots of School Success
School improvement efforts succeed every day in
classrooms across North Carolina. Over the past
few years, many struggling schools beat the odds
and dramatically increased student learning by
using innovative strategies for success.
Schools’ struggles often become apparent through
NCLB’s Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) measure,
which extrapolates achievement scores for groups
that often fall below overall averages.
Below are success stories from a few North Carolina
schools, all of which are Title I schools, meaning
that they have a significant percentage of students
living in poverty. Key to making positive changes
in student achievement for the 21st century will be
effective teaching, a common element in each of the
four schools featured here.
St. Stephens Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-6
• Location: Conover, Catawba County
• Total Students: 750
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 10.8 percent black,
24.4 percent Hispanic, 51 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 59.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 19.9 percent
• Special Education Students: 12 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
76.2 percent (based on students in grades 3-6
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: The school has a small radio
station featuring continuous loop announcements
of upcoming events. Parents can tune into this FM
station as they get closer to St. Stephens to keep
informed. The program is translated.
St. Stephens Elementary, a 2006 National Title I
Distinguished School in Catawba County, attributes
its success in exiting Title I School Improvement
to inclusion and co-teaching models. St. Stephens
went into Title I School Improvement when it
met 28 of 29 target goals, all except students
with disabilities in reading, but the school faced
additional challenges as well. St. Stephens’ limited
English proficient population increased from two
students in 1996 to over 200 in 2006. The free and
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reduced-price lunch student population increased
from seven percent in 1996 to 60 percent in 2006.
The school made big changes to meet all 29 of its
target goals for 2004-05 and 2005-06 and exit Title I
School Improvement. Those changes are reflected
not only in the school’s Title I recognition, but in its
selection as one of 10 schools nationwide selected
by the Character Education Partnership (CEP) to be
a 2006 National School of Character.
Exceptional children’s teachers, limited English
proficient teachers, literacy and remediation
specialists all share the classroom at St. Stephens.
A master schedule and a “sacred” block of
co-planning 45 minutes per week allows for
successful co-teaching. Regular classroom teachers
and inclusion teachers have equal responsibility
for the achievement of all students. Instructional
assistants are treated as key players and are
provided with staff development, meeting times
and regular observations and evaluations.
To provide time, information and support for the
co-teaching approach, the school has a six-day
rotation, hires permanent substitute teachers,
contracts with retired teachers and works hard to keep
everyone informed. Marsha Woodard, St. Stephens
principal from 1998 to 2006 and now director of
school improvement and professional learning for
Catawba County Schools, believes true co-teaching
doesn’t just happen without resources, support,
teacher preparation time, commitment, a vision,
restructuring and staff development.
Dramatic demographic changes prompted
St. Stephens to change the school’s culture and
integrate a positive, caring environment with the
philosophy of “Love them first, and teach them
second.” Teachers and administrators use positive
behavior support to encourage and recognize
students who model positive character traits,
perform community service and build empathy and
respect for differences and diversity. “The school
renewed my faith in our educational process,” said
CEP site visitor Penny Keith.
St. Stephens’ literacy specialist Kathy Frye (left) and ESL teacher
Ana Ziong team teach with the regular education teacher.
Troutman Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-5
• Location: Troutman, Iredell County
• Total Students: 744
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 15.9 percent black,
8.6 percent Hispanic, 72.8 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 46.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 6.3 percent
• Special Education Students: 17.9 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
75.4 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: Starting this year, tutors work with
small groups of students in specialized sessions
three days a week for 30 minutes in grades 3-5.
Teacher assistants from grades K-3 and regular
classroom teachers serve as the tutors.
30
Third Creek Elementary (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: K-5
• Location: Statesville, Iredell County
• Total Students: 651
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 28.6 percent black,
23.7 percent Hispanic, 45.2 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 66.6 percent
• English Language Learners: 11.1 percent
• Special Education Students: 13.2 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
67.8 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: The Third Creek staff is
researching high-yield instructional strategies
as part of a pilot along with the middle and high
schools that Third Creek feeds. School staffs will
pass along their findings to the entire district.
The 2004 school year revealed challenges for two
Iredell-Statesville schools.
At Third Creek Elementary, Hispanic students
were below AYP target goals in reading. Then, in
2005, only 63.9 percent of black students scored
proficient in reading, falling short of the 76.7
percent goal. Hispanic students made AYP that year
using safe harbor because that group of students’
performance jumped from 48.9 percent to 67.2
percent proficient in a population of 62-68 students.
For 2006, black students made AYP using safe
harbor because student performance increased
from 63.9 percent to 74.7 percent proficient in
reading among that group’s 82-90 students.
The school’s record shows the difficulty of
paying attention to diverse groups of students
with wide-ranging needs in different subjects
while responding to Title I School Improvement
sanctions. Third Creek is in year two of Title I
School Improvement, which means it had to offer
public school choice and supplemental education
services for 2006-07. In addition, although the
school made AYP for 2006, both the black and
Hispanic student groups have made math AYP
using the safe harbor clause over the years. The
challenge of making AYP one more year to emerge
from Title I sanctions will take a juggling act that
many schools must embark on to make sure all
students are learning according to expectations.
At Troutman Elementary, only 44.2 percent of the
school’s 49 students with disabilities scored proficient
in reading, as opposed to the 68.9 percent goal in
2004. This was the school’s second year missing AYP
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due to the performance in reading of its students with
disabilities in reading. That percentage, however,
jumped to 73.4 percent in 2005, keeping up with the
target goal jump of 76.7 percent when factoring in safe
harbor. Troutman made AYP again in 2006 and exited
Title I School Improvement.
Many strategies are used by the two schools to
meet diverse student needs. Key to success for
both schools, however, is the use of an Iredell-
Statesville Schools (I-SS) model, based on the
works of Richard and Rebecca DuFour and Richard
Eaker (see chart). The model focuses collaborative
grade-level teacher teams on using instructional
guides, quarterly predictive assessment data and
answering five learning-centered questions.
The teacher teams, called Professional Learning
Communities (PLCs), use weekly common time
for collaborative discussions between grade
level teachers. PLC meetings are a dynamic time
during which teachers discuss learning strategies
Lead Teacher
Support
1. What do students need to learn?
2. How will they learn it?
3. How will we know they’ve learned it?
4. What will we do if they don’t learn it?
5. What will we do if they already know it?
Continuous Improvement Approach (Aligned Strategic Plans, PDSA, Systems Checks, Data Warehouse)
ISS Model to Raise Achievement & Close Gaps
Quarterly Predictive
Assessments
Professional Learning
Communities
Instructional
Guides
32
for individual students or their entire classroom,
whatever is currently challenging. It’s a time to
share best practices and focus on instruction, not
operational issues. Instructional guides are used to
make sure the entire NC Standard Course of Study
is taught, but the guides leave room for teachers to
determine pacing for their classes.
Students take predictive assessments quarterly. “We
want to look at the data over the course of the school
year and use that information to drive instruction
rather than waiting until the end of the year to
analyze end-of-grade results,” says Troutman Lead
Teacher Kim Rector. All students performing below
expectations work with their teachers and parents to
develop a student support plan.
Weekly benchmark testing determines where students
stand and helps classrooms enact a Plan/Do/Study/
Act model. Students set class goals and review their
progress according to weekly tests. “They’re running
their own classroom and taking responsibility,” says
Third Creek Principal Amy Rhyne. “Now, you have to
look at what they’re saying. They may say they need
10 minutes after lunch to review reading questions
with a buddy and that’s reasonable. They may say
they want to wear their bathing suits to school and
that’s not.” “It’s very concrete to them when they
see the predictive assessment data,” says Troutman
Principal Kim Cressman.
Teachers at both schools focus on the data and on
small-group instruction using skill-based learning
targets. Reading achievement increased by 20
percent for Third Creek’s Hispanic students in
2005-06. “People ask what we did for that group,
but we didn’t do anything that we don’t do for all of
our students,” says Rhyne. “It’s all about knowing
where they are and moving forward from there.”
Kim Rector, Lead Teacher at Troutman Elementary School in
Iredell County, meets with a team of teachers for structured,
collaborative planning discussions.
Cane River Middle (2005-06 statistics)
• Grade Span: 6-8
• Location: Yancey County, Burnsville
• Total Students: 275
• Race/Ethnicity Enrollment: 92 percent white
• Free or Reduced-Price Lunch Eligible: 54.9 percent
• English Language Learners: 4.4 percent
• Special Education Students: 17.8 percent
• Percentage Proficient: In reading and math,
79.2 percent (based on students in grades 3-5
assessed on the 2006 state exams)
• Interesting Fact: In science class, sixth graders
recently examined owl pellets to discover that
small rodents were the bird’s chief food.
The personal approach is the core ingredient to
student success at Cane River Middle in Yancey
County. The school uses its Title I money primarily
to hire tutors. Rather than pulling students who need
extra help from different classes, all sixth- and seventh-grade
students receive extra help in daily study hall
sessions led by retired teachers. “We looked for the
3
best and we got the best,” says Principal Beverly
Brown of the school’s tutors. “That’s the key right
there. You’ve got to have teachers who are good.”
A common planning period helps teachers support
each other. Teachers in this small middle school teach
multiple subjects, and all teachers need to be ready to
help their students in the basics – grammar, writing,
math basic operations and problem solving.
The personal approach goes beyond teaching to
include many elements that affect learning for
middle school students. For instance:
• Sixth grade teachers visit the three elementary
feeder schools to talk to their prospective
students’ fifth grade teachers each spring.
• Each summer features “locker day,” when
sixth grade initiates practice working their
locker combinations.
• Each student chooses a trusted teacher in the
school as his/her coach to whom he/she can talk
about issues of concern.
• Each student has the opportunity to participate
in an anonymous survey about bullying.
• Unlike many middle schools, Cane River Middle
focuses on parent involvement.
Science is an integrated part of the curriculum at
Cane River Middle.
2007-2009
BIENNIAL BUDGET REQUEST FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
35
The State Board of Education and the Department of Public Instruction have one guiding
mission: “that every public school student will graduate from high school, globally competitive
for work and postsecondary education and prepared for life in the 21st century.” The biennial
budget outlined below enables North Carolina public schools to fully embrace this mission
and these goals of providing a 21st century education. This request reflects the goals in place
to accomplish this mission.
I. Globally Competitive Students
North Carolina schools will produce globally competitive students.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Continue funding for the Enhancing Education through Technology Competitive
Grant (a Federal grant that is being eliminated). Funds were distributed based
on competitive application to 10 Impact Schools to increase the school’s ability
to deliver classroom instruction through the use of technology. (10 grants at
$400,000 each)
$ 4,000,000
2 Expand funding for children with Special Needs: Additional funding is required
to reach the State Board-targeted funding ratio of 2.5 times the State average per
pupil funding level (inclusive of all funding sources). We estimate that we are
currently funding between 1.9 and 1.95. This request is to fund 25 percent of the
additional needed resources.
$ 25,000,000
3 Pay fee for low income students to take AP/IB exams (non-recurring). $ 250,000
4 Expand critical languages (e.g., Farsi, Urdu, Chinese). $ 1,000,000
5 Fund the Graduation Project (trainer and pilot management tool for project). $ 750,000
6 Expand Learn and Earn into 20 more high schools bringing total to 54 and provides
planning grants to 20 more high schools. ($8,232,388 R and $1,433,360 NR)
$ 9,665,748
36
II. 21st Century Professionals
North Carolina public school will be led by 21st Century professionals.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Fund one, full-time mentor for every 15 newly hired teachers in their 1st-3rd year
of teaching and every 15 new instructional support personnel in the 1st-2nd year.
$ 35,000,000
2 Develop/implement a focused training program for science, social studies,
and literacy to improve 21st century classroom instruction [$30,000 per LEA
< 20,000 in ADM (96) and $50,000 other (19)].
$ 3,830,000
3 Support course attainment by lateral entry teacher (5,675 lateral entry teachers;
two courses per year at $250 per course).
$ 2,837,500
4 Expand Literacy Coaches to an additional 100 middle schools ($57,044 times 100). $ 5,704,400
III. Healthy and Responsible Students
North Carolina public school students will be healthy and responsible.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Expand kindergarten school breakfast program (based on the initiating
formula and an additional 106 schools).
$ 459,255
2 Offset the loss of revenue as we implement new standards for child nutrition. $ 15,000,000
IV. Leadership
Leadership will guide innovation in North Carolina public schools.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Fund differential pay among elementary, middle (615) and high school (492) principals
and assistant principals based on time demands of job. Pay middle school 10 percent
more than elementary and high school 15 percent more than elementary.
$ 10,342,313
2 Implement a mentor program for principals.
(790 < 3 years of experience; therefore, 1:15 = 55 positions)
$ 3,837,900
3 Fund assistance teams from recurring appropriations. (Currently, most of the
funding needed for assistance teams, turnaround teams, and LEA assistance is
funded from State Public School Fund reversions.) To assure continued service,
all needed resources should be funded from recurring appropriations.
$ 10,300,000
37
V. 21st Century Systems
North Carolina public schools will be governed and supported by 21st Century systems.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Increase funding for staff development categorical allotment. (currently $12.3 million) $ 2,000,000
2 Fund new salary increments and signing bonuses for principals in hard-to-staff
schools (defined as a composite of < 60 percent of 195 schools @ $15,000 each).
$ 2,925,000
3 Increase one month of employment for assistant principals so the ratio to
students will decrease from 1:80 to 1:72.5.
$ 11,441,672
4 Fully fund the school connectivity initiative proposed during the last session of the
General Assembly. $6 million in non-recurring funds was appropriated in FY 2006-07.
$ 24,000,000
5 Establish a base-line cost to establish 21st century classrooms as we implement
the connectivity listed above. Classrooms would be equipped with digital white
board technology, data projector, computers, document cameras; each school
provides a technology facilitator. The cost would be $7,233 per classroom.
Cost was estimated using 10 schools/406 classrooms per LEA in 41 LEAs
(with a 189-classroom reserve). The other LEAs will be phased-in over time.
$121,766,143
6 Increase funding factor for Academically and Intellectually Gifted by 10 percent
from $1,013 to $1,114 (funded based on 4 percent of ADM).
$ 5,810,832
7 Reduce the allotment ratio by one for each allotment category of DSSF.
(Hold the 16 originally funded LEAs harmless.)
$ 39,881,653
8 Fund a School Resource Officer for every 1,000 students in middle schools.
(Total SROs = 341 @ $37,838 ($12.9 million); 47.7 percent State-funded = 163)
$ 6,200,000
9 Expand the More at Four Program from 18,653 to 21,853 slots and
increase the per-child amount by $200 to $4,250.
$ 22,903,596
38
VI. Agency Request
The NC Department of Public Instruction’s agency request will provide additional capacity to continue
current levels of support and services to local school districts.
# DESCRIPTION ESTIMATED COST
1 Add staff member to assist with NCDPI employee induction and training. $ 51,720
2 Fund the Plant Operations Section from appropriations, rather than receipts,
making engineering support available to all LEAs.
$ 826,164
3 State-fund the Federal grants, Enhancing Education Through Technology and
Evaluating Technology, which are being eliminated. $375,148 is to fund 2.2 FTE
currently employed at NCDPI and create two new positions currently under contract.
$ 375,148
4 Fund two permanent DPI positions to provide professional development to LEAs on
21st Century teaching and learning skills. (currently staffed by Teachers-on-Loan)
$ 158,000
5 Add a middle grades English Language Arts consultant to better assist LEAs. $ 67,100
6 Add a consultant in the Exceptional Children Division to provide full-time leadership and
technical assistance to LEAs in implementing the Positive Behavior Support initiative.
$ 90,000
7 Add three regional consultants in the Exceptional Children Division to train and
provide technical assistance to LEAs implementing Response to Intervention.
$ 270,000
8 Increase Governors School funding to provide $20 more per week for the 800
students attending (current budget supports $128 per week). In addition, provide
a 5.5 percent increase to the faculty.
$ 126,314
9 State-fund 4.82 FTE paid from the Title V Innovative Programs Federal grant
which was reduced by 50 percent in 2005-06. (two federal positions eliminated)
$ 384,549
10 Establish a reserve to fund 5.04 FTE paid from the Safe and Drug Free Schools
Federal grant which could be eliminated in 2007-08.
$ 431,008
11 Continue the non-recurring reserve of funds to be used to bring NCDPI‘s
information technology applications into compliance with State-wide architecture
requirements. ($2 million funded in FY 2006-07)
$ 2,000,000
12 Add two consultants, programmer, data analyst and a program assistant for the
State testing program.
$ 391,360
AGENCY REQUEST $ 5,171,363
EXPANSION BUDGET CAP $ 370,077,375
AVAILABLE $ (0)
500 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $2,950.75, or $5.90 per copy.
In compliance with federal law, NC Public Schools administers all State-operated educational programs, employment
activities and admissions without discrimination because of race, religion, national or ethnic origin, color, age, military
service, disability, or gender, except where exemption is appropriate and allowed by law.
Inquiries or complaints regarding discrimination issues should be directed to:
Dr. Elsie C. Leak, Associate Superintendent :: Office of Curriculum and School Reform Services
6307 Mail Service Center :: Raleigh, NC 27699-6307 :: Telephone 919-807-3761 :: Fax 919-807-3767
Visit us on the Web:: www.ncpublicschools.org